In my previous incarnation, I was Education Interpreter for the Celtic Village here at St Fagans. One of the last projects we undertook before I left was to consider the possibility of re-building one of the houses with a turf wall rather than with wattle and daub.

Below, you will find a brief outline of the reasons why we think this is archaeologically sound. What do you think? We will try to engage as many archaeologists as possible in this debate by sending out the link to various contacts. We then hope to organise a mini conference in 2008 to discuss the pros and cons of turf walls. Please feel free to contribute, and please send the link on to more people.

Understanding Welsh hillforts: Experimental reconstruction of a turf-walled roundhouse

The Celtic Village at St Fagans: National History Museum, Wales is a popular attraction for visitors, schoolchildren, students and archaeologists. It comprises two wattle and daub structures, based on evidence from Moel y Gerddi, Gwynedd and Moel y Gaer, Flintshire, and one stone structure based on evidence from Conderton, Worcestershire. They were built in 1992 by Dr Peter Reynolds, the leading expert in roundhouses at the time, and have been preserved, with essential modifications, ever since.

However, the Moel y Gaer reconstruction is nearing the end of its life, just as predicted by Dr Reynolds. We therefore propose to demolish the present structure, and to rebuild it, basing our efforts on current archaeological theory. We are interested, therefore, in starting a discussion with leading experts in the field, with a view to establishing a networked web forum of interested parties which will share ideas and advice on general roundhouse reconstruction.

We are presently in discussion with Dr Rachel Pope, Lecturer in Prehistoric Archaeology at Liverpool University, about her research into Iron Age roundhouses. With her advice, we are interested in re-building the Moel y Gaer as a turf-walled structure.

Dr Pope's doctoral research - funded by the AHRC - combined a large-scale dataset of 1180 prehistoric houses, with a long-term trajectory (2400 BC-AD 500). All aspects of prehistoric roundhouses were studied - their design, construction, use and lifespan.

She has also studied the Welsh Roundhouse - a project funded by the Board of Celtic Studies. From this extensive research, she proposes that stake walls were used as a dominant form in reconstruction largely due to the misinterpretation of structural remains from Wessex e.g. the Longbridge Deverill and Pimperne reconstructions at Butser, both of which have failed due to structural problems. The Moel y Gaer structure has also failed, with the wall bowing at the entrance at a rate of approximately 1 cm per year.

Dr Pope argues that convincing evidence has emerged which suggests that the structures were wide turf-walled structures with a wattle lining, rather than having a stake wall and projecting porch. Turf construction is well understood in Iceland, with the reconstruction of Norse longhouses and traditional turf dwellings of the eighteenth century. It is also found in northern Scotland with some traditional blackhouse.

The research is supported by Richard Brewer (Keeper of Archaeology, National Museum Wales), Gerallt Nash (Senior Curator, National History Museum), Adam Gwilt (Later Prehistorian, NMW), Owain Rhys (Curator of Contemporary Life, NHM), Ken Brassil (Learning NMW) and Nia Williams (Learning, NHM).

Lots more things installed now. It's seems tidier and it's possible to see much better how the exhibition is going to look. We have some of the audio visual aspects being tested and lights are sparkling in the empty cases. You can see the Bryn Celli Ddu stone already in place and covered in bubble wrap to protect it from all the work going on around it. Our recreated medieval Archer, who we affectionately call 'Jeffrey', was first created for our Re:Creations exhibition in 2002. The level of detail on his hands where he holds the string to his bow is amazing - it looks real. He is currently covered in bubble wrap to protect him from all the activity around him. He does look a bit like a mummy - but that's a whole different exhibition!

There are a lot more stones you can see in place covered to protect them and their plinths are nearly complete.

We're waiting for more mounts and the insides of cases to allow us to start installing our objects. As soon as they arrive the gallery will become a hive of activity with curators and conservators checking and installing large and small, delicate and robust, beautiful and functional objects that together will tell some of the story of the early people of Wales.

2007 will be known for the upside down year, when we had a torrential summer and a golden autumn. I pity the poor fungal foragers who are searching in vain for that elusive mushroom.

I had an interesting comment last time from pbhj, on the 'intriguing' BSL exhibition I mentioned. He asks 'Apart from being minority languages what are the comparison points (between BSL and Welsh)?' Well pbhj, the idea of the exhibition came from the BSL community, and they drew comparisons bewteen the way Welsh has been treated and the way BSL has been treated. For example, Welsh schoolchildren in the 19th century had to wear a Welsh Not and were punished for speaking Welsh. Similarly, BSL speakers were told to sit on their hands so that they couldn't sign. Another comparison was that there is only one BSL school in Wales, so BSL pupils elsewhere have their education through their second language, similar to many Welsh pupils until comparatively recently.

On a lighter note, they wished to draw comparisons between deaf comedians telling jokes about hearing people to Welsh comedians telling jokes about English people, or jokes that only work bilingually. Other aspects came up, and not all to do with the similarities between Welsh and BSL, but that gives a flavour of it.

I don't understand the second part of your comment - are you accusing someone? Firstly, I don't think you can 'over-promote' something, and secondly, Welsh translation is aimed primarily at providing non-Welsh speakers with an understanding of the language. Why is this damaging? And why is it to the detriment of other services? Yes there are BSL/Welsh translators - not many, but they do exist.

Sabrina Rochemont also commented, and asked 'Are there particular areas of interest that you would like our feedback on?' Well, I would like to hear people's opinions on what is 'Contemporary Collecting'. What objects should we target for future preservation, and why. In this world of mass produced things, should we be collecting televisions, computers, mobile phones? If every museum decided to do this, we'd explode at the seams! Another aspect is the community one - asking communities to curate what's important to them, and recording their experiences etc.

Right, to finish, a quick run-through of what I've been up to in the last month - we've had the preliminary meetings to discuss strategies for the 2009 Pop Exhibition; I attended a meeting in Welshpool where we discussed forming a Contemporary Collecting policy for all museums throughout Wales so that we work together; I attended a second Digital Story workshop which we intend to base our community workshops on; I collected the objects from Johnstown for the second community dresser (information about the first is in 'Rhagor' on this website); I visited a couple of museums in Swansea; and I started my MA Museum Studies course.

Whew! By the time I write next month, I will have been to Sweden for their SAMDOK conference, which is the leading contemporary collecting conference in the world. See ya then.