CARDIFF, WALES—According to a BBC News report, a cemetery dated to the sixth or seventh century A.D. is being excavated in southeastern Wales. Eighteen of the estimated 70 graves have been uncovered so far. Osteoarchaeologist Summer Courts of the University of Reading said that the teeth of some of these individuals are very worn, indicating that the people might have used their teeth as tools. “Maybe for textile work, leather work, or basketry—they’re pulling something through their front teeth,” she explained. Some of the individuals had been buried flat on their backs, as would be expected for the time period, but others had been placed in their graves on their sides, or with their knees tucked up to their chests. Fragments of butchered and burnt animal bones, pottery perhaps imported from North Africa, glass imported from France, and a carved peg that may have been used as a gaming piece have also been recovered. Archaeologist Andy Seaman of the University of Cardiff suggests that the people buried here were wealthy and had access to high-quality goods. Feasting may have also taken place at the cemetery, he added. DNA analysis and more precise dating could offer more information about the identities of the dead. To read about how a 2018 drought exposed traces of a medieval fortification in western Wales, go to "The Marks of Time: Medieval Castle."
