Prosiect Hanes Dyffryn Tanat
Tanat Valley History Project
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Blywyddyn 5 a 6 wedi cael cyfle gwych i fod yn rhan o brosiect hanes cyffrous sy'n digwydd yn Nyffryn Tanat. Mae ein hardal leol yn gyfoethog gyda hanes cynhanesyddol a bydd y plant yn helpu i greu gwefan a fydd yn hysbysu pobl o ba mor bwysig yw ein dyffryn wedi bod yn y gorffennol.
Years 5 and 6 have been given a brilliant opportunity to be part of an exciting history project taking place in the Tanat Valley. Our local area is rich with prehistoric history and the children will be helping to create a website that will inform people of just how important our valley has been in the past. The project is being lead by Sean Harris, a local artist/historian who will help create the website and lead the children through their historical journey. The project is being done jointly between Ysgol Llanrhaeadr, Ysgol Pennant and Ysgol Bro Cynllaith. Ysgol Llanrhaeadr will eventually be focusing on the Llwyn Bryn Dinas Hillfort at Llangedwyn. In November, the children began by creating a prehistoric timeline dating between 10,000 BC and the year 0 AD. Sean and CPAT Archaeologist, Jeff Spencer brought in various artefacts to show the children who gained a fantastic understanding of prehistory. In the second session during December, the children turned into explorers by using the website www.archwilio.org.uk to locate various prehistoric landmarks or artefacts which have been found in the Tanat Valley. They then plotted these places on a map with the help of Sean and Cadw Archaeologist Erin Robinson. They found out that Llanrhaeadr Ym Mochnant has a particularly interesting role to play in prehistory as the field of Meusydd, located just south of the school, was a prehistoric meeting place made from a timber circle and henge. The site may have been used to pray or to carry out funeral ceremonies. They also found out that the local hills of Craig Rhiwarth (Llangynog), Llwyn Bryn Dinas (Llangedwyn) and Llanymynech all had hillforts on them thousands of years ago. The children will be continuing their project in the new year which will involve a field trip to Llwyn Bryn Dinas. |
In November, Years 5 and 6 begun their journey into the pre-historic past of the Tanat Valley. The project is Lottery Funded and it is in collaboration with Ysgol Pennat and Ysgol Bro Cynllaith. Up until last week, they had learnt about the different eras that have passed since the last Ice Age and what has happened in the Tanat Valley in those eras. They then created ancestors like those that once lived here and made realistic animations using special print works with organiser Sean Harris.
The fifth session took place this week when the children along with Sean, archaeologist Geoff and former park ranger Dewi visited two local pre-historic sites. The first was Llwyn Bryn Dinas Hill in Llangedwyn which was once home to Bronze and Iron Age inhabitants. The children learnt about the 1983 excavation that found many amazing things about the people who lived there including evidence of metal smelting. They then re-enacted the trading of copper and wheat between the people of Llwyn Bryn Dinas Hill fort and Llanymynech Hill fort. Before descending, the children had a go at palaeolithic salmon fishing using harpoons and cucumbers (very intriguing!). In the afternoon, the children walked to Meusydd field across the road from the school. This site was once a Neolithic (3000-1800 BC) ritual monument or meeting place. Recently, after flying over the field, experts found crop marks which suggested historic importance. After a geophysical survey was carried out, a henge and two timber pit circles were discovered. Excavation then took place in 1998 and 2007. The children located the pit circles using archaeological maps and re-created them by standing tall as the timber circles would have once stood. This was an ideal location for a meeting point as the site is in the bottom of a 'bowl' shaped area where lots of valleys run into. The children had a great day and it was fantastic to see how much they have learnt over the past 6 months. On Friday, there was a project launch in Pennant which some of our Year 5 and 6's attended. They were on hand to answer questions from anyone who took interest in what they had been doing. The night was very successful with lots of local people showing an interest in the history of their valley. |