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Archaeologists say they are excited by some of the discoveries made at an historic site on the outskirts of Cardiff.

Nestled amongst the Cardiff suburbs of Caerau and Ely, the Iron Age hillfort was once the powerhouse for the city more than 2,000 years ago and was said to be a political hub for the region.

Shale bracelets have been found at the site and a previous dig uncovered evidence of old houses.

The latest excavations took place between June and July - and this time 2,500 year old pieces of wood as well pollen.

Although that may not sound like much, experts say it is all part and parcel of the fort's jigsaw.

The site at Caerau, which gets its name from the Welsh word for fort, has long been a place of fascination and intrigue for Cardiff University lecturer Oliver Davis.

He said: "The exciting finds that we get are the tiny things that tell a story."

(Image: Oliver Davis)

Earlier this year, it was announced that the hillfort would get a £1.6m grant.

The scheme is proposed by Action in Caerau and Ely (ACE), who have been working with Cardiff University, local schools and residents.

Officials hope that as well as discovering more interesting finds, they can increase visitor numbers to the area by 50% over the next three years.

Mr Davis said the hillfort was triangular in shape where there was once around 200 homes on flat ground at the top of the hill.

He added that people were gathering there around the time of the Stone Age before the hilllfort was built around 600BC.

It remained an important place for many centuries and previous excavations have shown there once was a Roman settlement there.

(Image: Wales Online) (Image: Wales Online)

Mr Davis hoped the recent excavations would help answer "three big questions".

He added: "How were the ramparts built? When was it built? and Why they were built?"

Among those taking part have been pupils from Cardiff West Community High School.

"The idea is that we are going to take the artifacts and samples into the school and the pupils will analyse them and come up with a story about the site," he added.

He also said that 650 people had visited the site and that volunteers had worked more than 730 hours on the project. Those involved in the projects included local residents from Ely, community groups, residents from Cardiff and schoolchildren.

(Image: Wales Online)

(Image: Wales Online)

Future plans for the site include creating a heritage centre, creating a series of footpaths around the hillfort as well as putting up displays that tell the story of the site.

Further excavations are also planned next summer and also hoped to carry out small digs in local residents' back gardens to see if more things are discovered.

"The response from the community has been really positive", added Mr Davis.

"Lots of people were interested in coming to visit and take part in the archaeology.

"The project is focused on engaging the local Ely and Caerau community and also the wider Cardiff community by challenging stereotypes of Ely and Caerau by helping them explore their own history."