Ancient Welsh city found

Caer Caradoc at Mynydd y Gaer, Glamorgan, is one of the most important locations in all of ancient British history. It is the fabled fortress city of King Caradoc 1, son of Arch, who fought the Romans from 42-51AD.

And now, a small team of dedicated researchers working with historians Alan Wilson and Baram Blackett, have been able to pinpoint the location of this site. "It is great news for the local, regional and national economy," said Alan Wilson today. "We have been making these discoveries for many years and with the Electrum Cross discovered at nearby St. Peter's in 1990, it looks like a boost for jobs is likely."

"What is more," added research team leader Baram A Blackett, "this is but one of several South Wales sites we are currently investigating. And the others are arguably bigger news than this!"

"What we have is a clearly-defined walled city in exactly the place the records tell us it should be. The Welsh manuscripts and supporting records are always precise and allow us to make major progress in terms of identifying royal burial mounds, tombs, artefacts and more," said Wilson.

Aerial photographs obtained by the research team via Google Earth are available for viewing on the Internet via, realhistoryradio.blogspot.com

A Caer is a fortress and Caers were major fortress cities and towns for example: Caer Lllundain (London), Caerdydd (Cardiff) Caergrant (Cambridge) and Caer Loyw (Gloucester).

Historical references to Caer Caradoc are many and include statements in the Brut Tyssilio (684 AD) and the later Gruffyd ap Arthur (1135 AD) where Merddyn Emrys (Martin Ambrosius) and his mother are said to have met with the Ambassdors of Vortigern at St. Peter's Super-Montem Church at Caer Caradoc, where they lived.

(The ruin of the ancient St. Peters' Super-Montem Church, owned by Alan Wilson and Baram Blackett, is still on the low mountain immediately above the city of Caer Caradoc. The church is similarly ancient, dating to the 1st Century AD as shown in the 1990 dig at the site.)

Another reference is that of Teithfallt/Theodosius, who buried the 363 British noblemen murdered by treacherous Saxons at the notorious "Peace ConfereThe team say the Mynwent y Milwyr, "monument to the soldiers", is still to be found on the second highest point of Mynydd y Gaer above the city of Caer Caradoc that they have found.

A third reference is that of the "Uthyr Pendragon" , King Meurig/Maurice, who lies buried at the giant circle at Caer Caradoc. There is, at this location, a gigantic ditch and mound shaped like a boat, next to St. Peter's Church ruin. In this 180 yards by 70 yards wide earth mound and ditch feature there is the huge grave mound of Meurig.

At the highest point of the Mynydd y Gaer, "Fortress Mountain", lies the burial mound known at "Twyn Caradoc", for King Caradoc 1 who returned from Rome in 59AD.

The area around St. Peter's Church is called Portref, or "Supreme Manor Place", and other place names include "the throne of the knight," "the ridge of the soldiers" and the "pass of the soldier". King Lleirwg (King Luke) rebuilt St Peter's circa 160AD and an archaeological dig undertaken there in 1990 showed four successive ancient church rebuildings dating back to the 1st Century AD. The illustrious Welsh records known as the Triads state that the Caer Caradoc church was the most important in Britain.

Around 150 yards away from St Peter's ruins are the ruins of a thick castle wall and the bases of two gate towers where a castle once stood allowing watchman the best possible views of the coastal views of Glamorgan and the Severn Estuary.

There was a major battle near Caer Caradoc in 51 AD where the Khumric-Welsh claimed victory over the Romans. This battle site was located north west of Mynydd y Gaer near Merthyr (Merthyr Tydfil today), or vale of the Martyrs.

After winning the battle, Caradoc went north to get assistance from the Queen of the Brigantes, Aregwedd, misnamed Cartismandua by the Latins. Instead, the Queen, known as the "traitor", handed Caradoc over to the Romans. He was subsequently taken to Rome where he resided for seven years before returning home.

The team say tthe discovery of Caer Caradoc, a pre-Roman British city is a severe embarrassment to academics who take no notice of Welsh records. Despite this, they now have clear photographic evidence, proof positive, of a rectangular walled city located on the flatlands just city south of St. Peter's and north of Brynna village. Although they are not yet allowed on-site, as it is privately owned, the site can be seen easily.

This city, Caer Caradoc, was once the capital of the Paramount King of Britain, and the team started to look for its precise location in 1990 but it was not until the development of the aerial imaging programme, Google Earth, that they were able to make the identification, and this was a difficult process of checking and re-checking.

There is further conclusive evidence based upon Tithe Maps. These are a detailed record of every Welsh field. Each field had a designated number, details of the owner and tenant farmer and, importantly, the field's name. Every field had a name and often described what had occurred there, if anything. Around St. Peters, the field names show it to be the location of the Peace Conference of 456 took place. "Field of the Conference, "Field of the Quarrel," "Field of the Blood". Copies of Tithe maps are easily obtained.

This is a major find by any standards and we welcome questions, queries and requests for further detail from all comers.

If that church dates to the 1st Century AD, then it was not originally a Christian church. It dates hundreds of years before the very first Christians showed up in those lands.

I think the legend goes something like this...Joseph of Arimathea traveled to England after the Resurrection with the Holy Grail. This is where the origin of the Holy Grail lore comes from.

Here is an interesting read from http://britannia.com/history/biographies/joseph.html

Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy disciple of Jesus, who, according to the book of Matthew 27:57-60, asked Pontius Pilate for permission to take Jesus' dead body in order to prepare it for burial. He also provided the tomb where the crucified Lord was laid until his Resurrection. Joseph is mentioned in a few times in parallel passages in Mark, Luke and John, but nothing further is heard about his later activities.

Apocryphal legend, however, supplies us with the rest of his story by claiming that Joseph accompanied the Apostle Philip, Lazarus, Mary Magdalene & others on a preaching mission to Gaul. Lazarus & Mary stayed in Marseilles, while the others travelled north. At the English Channel, St.Philip sent Joseph, with twelve disciples, to establish Christianity in the most far-flung corner of the Roman Empire: the Island of Britain. The year AD 63 is commonly given for this "event", with AD 37 sometimes being put forth as an alternative. It was said that Joseph achieved his wealth in the metals trade, and in the course of conducting his business, he probably became acquainted with Britain, at least the south-western parts of it. Cornwall was a chief mining district and well-known in the Roman empire for its tin. Somerset was reknowned for its high quality lead. Some have even said that Joseph was the uncle of the Virgin Mary and therefore of Jesus, and that he may have brought the young boy along on one of his business trips to the island. Hence the words of Blake's famous hymn, Jerusalem:

And did those feet, in ancient time, Walk upon England's mountains green?

It was only natural, then, that Joseph should have been chosen for the first mission to Britain, and appropriate that he should come first to Glastonbury, that gravitational center for legendary activity in the West Country. Local legend has it that Joseph sailed around Land's End and headed for his old lead mining haunts. Here his boat ran ashore in the Glastonbury Marshes and, together with his followers, he climbed a nearby hill to survey the surrounding land. Having brought with him a staff grown from Christ's Holy Crown of Thorns, he thrust it into the ground and announced that he and his twelve companions were "Weary All". The thorn staff immediately took miraculous root, and it can be seen there still on Wearyall Hill. Joseph met with the local ruler, Arviragus, and soon secured himself twelve hides of land at Glastonbury on which to build the first monastery in Britain. From here he became the country's evangelist.

Much more was added to Joseph's legend during the Middle Ages. He was gradually inflated into a major saint and cult hero, as well as the supposed ancestor of many British monarchs. He is said to have brought with him to Britain a cup, said to have been used at the Last Supper and also used to catch the blood dripping from Christ as he hung on the Cross. A variation of this story is that Joseph brought with him two cruets, one containing the blood and the other, the sweat of Christ. Either of these items are known as The Holy Grail, and were the object(s) of the quests of the Knights of King Arthur's Round Table. One legend goes on to suggest that Joseph hid the "Grail" in Chalice Well at Glastonbury for safe-keeping (Photo)

There is a wide variance of scholarly opinion on this subject, however, and a good deal of doubt exists as to whether Joseph ever came to Britain at all, for any purpose.

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