Bronze Age Gold from Wales

Tramplate found on site of Stradey ironworks, Llanelli. Lightweight four-foot tramplate, clean apart from traces of lime mortar adhering in flange which suggest it had been used as a lintel in one of the post-industrial domestic and garden buildings on the site. Semi-circular male and female interlocking ends, no feet. Circular hole at each end of running surface hence used with two-holed stone sleeper blocks. Probably intended for use underground due to its lightweight cross-section. Likely to post-date the abandonment of the ironworks and hence likely to have been acquired from a somewhat later colliery in the district for use as a lintel when one of the structures on site was being built or adapted for non-industrial use. Found leaning against the south wall of the roofless and partly demolished/collapsed lean-to structure on the south side of structure ‘A’, suggesting that it may have served as a lintel within that structure.