Yahoo News Ancient 'love' horns to sound again as 5,000-year Anglesey tomb hosts anniversary events
Iron Age trumpets not heard for thousands of years will once again sound out across Anglesey. Replicas of the famous Llyn Cerrig Bach horns will be played for the first time at an ancient tomb to mark 10 years of ongoing archaeological works.
A series of folklore events are planned at Bryn Celli Ddu, near Llanfair PG, this month. The 5,000-year-old tomb, built to house the remains of ancestors, is one of the most famous archaeological sites in Wales.
The celebrations include processions, performances and “ritual theatre”. On June 22, the new Llyn Cerrig Bach horns will be played on the mound for the first time by Ancient Ireland Music.
READ MORE: Anglesey cheese plant Mona Dairy collapses into administration
READ MORE: Swimmer who died after getting into difficulty off North Wales coast named
These were part of a sensational haul of 180 metal artefacts recovered from the small lake during wartime work to extend RAF Valley’s runway for US Flying Fortresses. As well as bronze swords, spears, shield bosses and sand chariot parts, pieces of bronze horns were dredged from Llyn Cerrig Bach.
Most remarkable discovery was a three-metre iron chain. Not knowing what it was, a tractor driver used it to drag a stranded truck from the peat during excavations. It was later realised to be a late Iron Age gang chain for five slaves, a powerful symbol of subjugation.
Incredibly, one of the large curved horns found at the lake was still playable. Thought to have been brought to Anglesey from Ireland, it is described in an old Irish saga as “producing music of great beauty, with healing powers, suitable for a betrothal or a marriage ceremony, rather than a battle”. Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community
Open days
Heritage body Cadw is organising two living history events at Bryn Celli Ddu. Both are free but tickets are needed for the celebration evening on June 22 - you can book tickets here.
Dr Ffion Reynolds, Cadw’s senior heritage events and arts manager, said: “Bryn Celli Ddu is an amazing monument and a fantastic site to promote Anglesey’s abundant archaeology and history. Combining a monument’s rich past with the arts with events like this help to open up the sites for more people to enjoy and bring Welsh heritage and history to life in a memorable way.”
June 15
An open day, on Saturday, June 15, 11am-4pm, will focus on the archaeology and history of the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. Activities include demonstrations of ancient rock art-making techniques, as well as live flint knapping demonstrations with experts Ancient Crafts. Punk antiquarian Rhys Mwyn will lead a bilingual archaeology tour of the monument, and visitors can also join in a tour of the current trench.
The event will also explore the use of colour in the past. Stone Science and GeoMôn geologists will be highlighting ancient natural dyes, ochre mineral paint pigments and the island’s colourful geology. Get the best island stories from our Anglesey newsletter - sent every Friday
June 22
The second event, on Saturday, June 22, 4pm-8pm, is a 10th-year anniversary celebration of the digs at Bryn Celli Ddu. Called Gwreiddau (Roots), archaeologists and artists will be hosting an evening of talks, tours and a folklore-inspired procession and performance.
Ancient Ireland Music will be playing their Llyn Cerrig Bach horns and the site will “come alive” with a new ritual theatre performance by artist Clare Parry-Jones. Art and archaeology talks will include project archaeologists and Kristoffer Hughes, chief of the Anglesey Druid Order.
The events are being organised by partnership between Cadw, Think Creatively, Galeri Caernarfon, Oriel Môn, GeoMôn, Môn CF and Manchester Metropolitan University. They’re supported by the Arts Council of Wales.
Find family activities near you
