What was found at the medieval cemetery in Wales?

Archaeologists found 58 skeletons, mostly women, along with domestic items, decorative artefacts like beads and brooches, and the possible remains of a small building.

What is unusual about the skeletons in the Welsh cemetery?

The unusual aspect is that nearly all of the 58 skeletons uncovered belong to women, suggesting a specific community.

What might the small building at the Welsh cemetery signify?

The potential small building, located at the cemetery's center, might have been a shrine or chapel, indicating a spiritual focus for the community.

Home / Science / Wales Cemetery Yields Female Religious Community Clues

Wales Cemetery Yields Female Religious Community Clues

1 Jan

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Summary

Medieval cemetery in Wales reveals clues about an early female religious community.
Excavations unearthed domestic and luxury items alongside 58 skeletons.
A potential small building, possibly a shrine or chapel, was found at the center.

Wales Cemetery Yields Female Religious Community Clues

Intriguing discoveries at a medieval cemetery in Wales are shedding new light on a potential early female religious community. For the past four years, archaeologists have been excavating near Cardiff airport, unearthing 58 skeletons dating to the 6th or 7th Century, with nearly all belonging to women.

Recent finds include a possible small building, central to the cemetery, which archaeologists speculate could be a shrine or chapel. Domestic and decorative artefacts, such as exquisite coloured glass beads, copper brooches, and quern stones for grinding flour, suggest both wealth and a living community, not just a burial ground.

While most burials show care, some anomalies remain, including the remains of a few men and children, and two women buried in a ditch, one with bound limbs. These ongoing excavations promise to unravel more about this formative period of history and early church sites.