Archaeologists working in a Gwynedd quarry (Wales) discovered an ancient cemetery containing some of the best preserved Bronze Age pottery ever found in the area. The team from Brython Archaeology were working in the Cefn Graianog Quarry at Llanllyfni, near Caernarfon, on behalf of site operators. During their work at the sand and gravel quarry they were surprised to come across a Bronze Age cemetery but even more shocked to discover what was lying inside two graves.
     Iwan Parry, for Brython Archaeology, said: "The quarry has been operating since the 1970s, and we know the area has been occupied since the Bronze Age thanks to previous discoveries. So we know there is a lot of archaeology in the area, but to discover a cemetery was totally unexpected, and the artefacts inside the graves were an even bigger surprise."
     The team uncovered two graves created from pits lined with stone slabs - one smaller one and another larger adult sized grave, which contained two pots known as beakers. "They are a specific kind of pot dating from the end of the Neolithic Age and the start of the Bronze Age, making them about 4,000 years old," said Iwan. "The smaller pot was damaged and has been painstakingly reconstructed by conservation staff at Cardiff University, but the larger pot was completely intact. "It was so well preserved that it could easily have been a reproduction made a few days ago rather than something that's been in the ground for over 4,000 years, and the beakers are some of the earliest examples ever found in this part of North Wales."
     As well as the pots, the team discovered pits containing charcoal and pottery which are also believed to date back to the Bronze Age, and the treasures uncovered will be passed on to STORIEL - the Gwynedd Museum and Art Gallery in Bangor.

Edited from Daily Post (31 October 2016)