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© 2007 Armchair History
Details of Archaeological /excavations at Castle Odo
HILLFORTS CASTELL ODO
Castell Odo
Weak double ringwork.
This hill fort is on the summit of Mynydd Ystum. Abedaron at 497 o/s Described as a large double banked hill fort & probably a settlement The site was excavated in 1929 by Breese but the dig was inconclusive and in retrospect is considered a rather poor excavation. the excavations by Breese of a bisected trench showed a large rectangular structure and a smaller sub rectangular structure And revealed small depressions suggesting hut floors, 8 hut circles about 24 ft in diameter were identified but huts 9-A were unnoticed at this time,Hut no S was excavated.Pottery was a black burnt ware style and was difficult to date as it appeared to an unknown type but was tentatively dated 5th 6 th cent BC this dating was unresolved for 10 years
Weak double ringwork.
This hill fort is on the summit of Mynydd Ystum. Abedaron at 497 o/s Described as a large double banked hill fort & probably a settlement The site was excavated in 1929 by Breese but the dig was inconclusive and in retrospect is considered a rather poor excavation. the excavations by Breese of a bisected trench showed a large rectangular structure and a smaller sub rectangular structure And revealed small depressions suggesting hut floors, 8 hut circles about 24 ft in diameter were identified but huts 9-
Leslie Alcock conducted a dig in 1958/59 to try and resolve some of the enigmatic dating sequences. There now appears to have been 5 phases of development /occupation .
Phase 1a Iron age A: an undefended village of WOODEN Houses with turf or thatch walls and roof.pottery was a black burnt ware style but no associated artefacts found although a possible hearth in Hut A.
Phase Ib: had a partially completed palisade this was subsequently burnt down and a wide spread of ash & charcoal is present on the site. Timber was not a natural material in the area and its use suggests a possible invasion by people outside the AREA. Evidence of a drain 1 foot deep and 8/9" wide covered with a slab.Thick coarse coil wound Pottery with thumbed base and rim contemporary with the Shetlands earliest known Celitc settlement in north Wales (Halstat type )
Phase 11: Appears to be re occupied after after a short abandonment the banks Il were constructed 8-
Phase Ill: Bank I built including stone revetments and revetments were added to Bank II.along with boundary walls /enclosures. There was a single post hole gate with an entrance 8 ft wide,suggestinq that the intervalum was used as a coral.
A cobbled road led to the centre. No associated pottery found but 1 saddle quern.
Phase IV : Late 1st cent A.D shows reduction of the bank and removal of all large stones suggesting demilitarization (Romans). A buried saddle quern.
Phase V: The rectangular constructions now appear to be a medieval / Norman warren. Quantities of bitumen present on the site may be residue from beacon bonfires.
Castell Odo (187284) which is located near to Aberdaron was the subject of two excavations 1929 and 1958 and a brief outline of those archeological reports can seen here as well as some site details