Bronze Age Gold from Wales

Three quarrymen at Dinorwig Quarry. The quarryman on the right side of the photograph is splitting a large block of slate using a Rhys Mawr (a hammer made of African oak). The quarryman in the centre is splitting a block of slate using a cŷn manhollt (a wide and slim chisel) and a gordd (a small mallet made of African oak). The quarryman on the left hand side of the photograph is sitting on a trafael, dressing a roofing slate by hand using a cyllell naddu (a knife-like tool). The quarrymen are photographed behind one of the gwaliau – an open ended structure where roofing slates were split and dressed.

It is believed that the photograph was taken during the early 1920s, as the majority of the large dressing sheds/mills at Dinorwig Quarry were built during the 1920s. These sheds/mills housed the mechanically driven saw tables, which took over the role of dressing slate by hand. Also, the quarrymen are wearing similar outfits to the quarrymen in the photograph of Twll y Mwg taken in 1921 (2018.171/1).