A team of active duty military personnel and veterans have unearthed parts from a Celtic chariot under an airfield in Anglesey.

Among the new finds was a terret ring which would have been used to guide the reins of a Celtic chariot, featuring a red decorative inlay. The ring, found by retired RAF Squadron Leader David Ulke, is one of just 3 found with this particular decoration in Wales. A horse bridle-bit thought to date to c60AD was also found by serving RAF Flight Sergeant Graham Moore. Similar to those from the Polden Hill hoard found in Somerset, the bridle-bit would have been worn by horses pulling Iron Age chariots.

The artifacts are believed to be parts of the Llyn Cerrig Bach Hoard, the largest Iron Age hoard ever discovered in Wales. The marshy area on the west coast of Anglesey was an important Celtic ritual site, and its significance was reflected in the exceptional craftsmanship of the artifacts found there in 1942 during construction of the RAF airfield for American bombers. It had once been a lake, and once the peat marsh was drained to build the airfield, numerous animal bones and over 150 bronze and iron objects were uncovered. Weapons, tools, cauldrons, iron gang chains, decorative bronzes, parts of chariots and horse gear deposited there between 300 B.C. and 100 A.D.

The swords were deliberately bent and other functional objects broken or dismantled before deposition as part of the sacrificial practice of “killing” an offering to the gods. Chariots were broken down into component parts which have been found in the hoard, including iron wheels, nave hoops, linch pins, terrets and 13 bronze and iron bridle-bits.

Led by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) in collaboration with Operation Nightingale, the excavation took place in April 2024 in advance of refurbishments at the RAF Valley airfield scheduled for the fall. The team found the terret and bridle-bit in excellent condition, preserved by the anaerobic environment.

Senior Curator of Prehistory at Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, Adam Gwilt, said:

It is amazing to think that these 2,000 year old artefacts have remained so complete and well-preserved within a shallow peat deposit, previously moved and dragged onto the airfield over 80 years ago from a nearby ancient lake! The bridle-bit and terret are both of styles which are not represented amongst the original collection. They add important new information on the religious gifting of prized objects into the lake at the end of the Iron Age, a little before, or at around the time when the Roman Army invaded Anglesey.

The newly-discovered artifacts have been declared as treasure by the Senior Coroner for North Wales (West). They will be joining other objects from the Llyn Cerrig Bach hoard at the Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales.