Llancadle South: An early medieval cemetery complex in the eastern Vale of Glamorgan. Preliminary results from the 2022-25 excavations

In this article we present the preliminary results from the 2022-25 excavations at Llancadle South (Vale of the Glamorgan). The fieldwork was undertaken as part of the Fonmon Castle Landscape Archaeology Project, a collaborative research initiative between Cardiff University and the Fonmon Castle Ltd. The excavation has revealed a well-preserved Early Medieval inhumation cemetery on land to the west of Fonmon Castle (ST 037 681) within the parish of Penmark. To date, around 70% of the cemetery has been examined and it is estimated that the total number of burials here is between 80 and 100. The cemetery is demarcated by two concentric enclosures, the larger of which may also have enclosed a contemporary settlement. The excavations have produced a range of material culture, including high-status imported pottery and glass dating to the 6th and 7th centuries AD, as well as a substantial animal bone assemblage. The cemetery displays a surprising diversity of mortuary ritual that includes individuals laid out in supine, flexed, and crouched positions. Two individuals interred close to the entrance of the enclosure ditch surrounding the cemetery appear to have received atypical burial treatment. Features interpreted as potential structures have also been identified within the cemetery space. The programme of fieldwork and post-excavation analysis is on-going, but the initial results are of sufficient significance to warrant this extended interim statement and some preliminary consideration of the site’s status and context within the region.