{"success":true,"data":{"id":"db65a192-095e-4b2c-9973-41e48d6261c2","title":"Heatwave reveals lost archaeological sites across Wales","summary":"Image source, RCAHMW Image caption, New details have been collected of buried Roman buildings at Caerhun Roman fort in Conwy By Angharad Thomas BBC Wales Published 1 hour ago Lost archaeological sites have emerged in grasslands across Wales after a prolonged spell of hot and dry weather.","content":"# Heatwave reveals lost archaeological sites across Wales\n\n![Image 1: Caerhun or Canovium Roman fort, Conwy; a rebalanced image revealing new details of buried Roman buildings (17 July 2026).](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/999/cpsprodpb/dd77/live/2d94c7b0-8773-11f1-b430-afa19a42b819.jpg)Image source, RCAHMW\n\nImage caption, \n\nNew details have been collected of buried Roman buildings at Caerhun Roman fort in Conwy\n\nBy Angharad Thomas\n\nBBC Wales\n\n*   Published 1 hour ago \n\n**Lost archaeological sites have emerged in grasslands across Wales after a prolonged spell of hot and dry weather.**\n\nWales has seen about 5% of the average rainfall for July, after [a series of back-to-back heatwaves](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2ky7g4wgj4o) and a drier than usual April to June. [A drought](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c80n5rvx917o) has also been triggered in parts of Wales.\n\nExperts said these dry conditions have brought to light a range of hidden archaeological remains, including Roman buildings and practice trenches from World War One.\n\nMany are only visible from the air as distinctive marks in crops and grass, with some not being seen for \"two or three decades\", according to the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW).\n\n![Image 2: Dramatic archmarks of First World War practice trenches beneath a golf course at Deganwy, Conwy (17 July 2026).](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/996/cpsprodpb/8251/live/1dffacc0-8773-11f1-b430-afa19a42b819.jpg)Image source, RCAHMW\n\nImage caption, \n\nParchmarks of World War One practice trenches are seen beneath a golf course in Deganwy, Conwy\n\nThe crop marks are made by vegetation drawing on better nutrients and water supplies trapped in long-gone fortification ditches - leading to green growth that stands out.\n\nBut they can disappear as quickly as they emerge once the weather conditions change.\n\nArchaeologist Dr Toby Driver has been racing against the heat to record and study the monuments.\n\nHe said they would normally have to wait every five to seven years for \"a record heatwave summer for aerial archaeology\", but now they come \"every year\".\n\n![Image 3: A previously unrecorded Iron Age or Romano-British double-ditched farmstead revealed in ripening cropmarks near Llandysul, south Ceredigion (15 July 2026). Picture shows patches of brown crop fields and come greenery around the corners.](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/999/cpsprodpb/3306/live/40394580-8773-11f1-b430-afa19a42b819.jpg)Image source, RCAHMW\n\nImage caption, \n\nA previously unrecorded Iron Age or Romano-British double-ditched farmstead was revealed in ripening cropmarks near Llandysul, Ceredigion\n\nRCAHMW said the east and north-east of Wales has been very dry since mid-May, while much of west and south Wales stayed fairly damp and green.\n\nHowever, the series of heatwaves in late June scorched off grasslands across Wales.\n\nIt revealed \"monuments ranging from prehistoric long barrows and forts to Roman buildings and even First World War practice trenches,\" they said.\n\n![Image 4: Dramatic parchmarks of First World War practice trenches beneath a golf course at Deganwy, Conwy (17 July 2026). Black and white image of golf course with markings on it. ](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/999/cpsprodpb/72db/live/549b9ff0-8773-11f1-b430-afa19a42b819.jpg)Image source, RCAHMW\n\nImage caption, \n\nWhat is considered to potentially be a corral for cattle from the Iron Age 2,000 years ago in dry pasture near Lampeter, Ceredigion\n\nThe national archive for the Welsh historic environment has released photographs of Driver's discoveries following flights from Haverfordwest and Caernarfon airport in June and July.\n\n\"This year has been pretty windy across Wales, so some of the longer trips to record cropmarks have made for challenging flying,\" Driver said.\n\n\"Sometimes the cropmarks are so clear they jump out as we orbit the aircraft around to photograph them. But some parts of Wales are now so dry that the cropmarks can be faint and pretty hard to see.\"\n\nHe added: \"In these cases we digitally rebalance the colour bands of the image, really making the archaeology 'pop' and reveal previously hidden details – these images appear as black and white\".\n\n![Image 5: A large and complicated Iron Age concentric enclosure around 170 metres across, potentially a corral for cattle 2000 years ago, revealed in dry pasture near Lampeter, Ceredigion (21 July 2026)](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/900/cpsprodpb/916a/live/61187e60-8773-11f1-b430-afa19a42b819.jpg)Image source, RCAHMW\n\nImage caption, \n\nIn Welshpool, Powys, cropmarks of a rectangular Neolithic long barrow has been seen that dates back around 5,000 years, while in Conwy new details have been collected of [buried Roman buildings at Caerhun Roman fort](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-44806069).\n\nDramatic parchmarks of First World War practice trenches beneath a golf course were also seen at Deganwy, Conwy, while a previously unrecorded Iron Age or Romano-British double-ditched farmstead was revealed in ripening cropmarks near Llandysul, south Ceredigion.\n\n## Related topics\n\n## More top stories\n\n    \n\n    *   Published 3 hours ago \n\n    \n\n    *   Published 6 hours ago \n\n    \n\n    *   Published 9 hours ago \n\n## The video playlist\n\nWatch our pick of standout clips from across the BBC\n\nPrevious Next\n\n*   0:48 PM Andy Burnham spends first day at No 10 North. 00:00:48, play video PM Andy Burnham spends first day at No 10 North![Image 9: A man with black hair and glasses stands in front of a sign saying 'Number 10 of the North'.](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/ccc8/live/be22e920-876d-11f1-b8ee-9b3c26ad07bb.jpg) \n*   0:41 Rent controls ruled out in England. 00:00:41, play video Rent controls ruled out in England![Image 10: Aerial view of rows of terraced houses](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/0983/live/eeca7230-877e-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg) \n*   0:53 Has Trump walked back his nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia? 00:00:53, play video Has Trump walked back his nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia?![Image 11: A man in traditional Saudi dress shakes hands with a man in a blue suit. ](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/dbd7/live/fa7b6b60-874d-11f1-b8ee-9b3c26ad07bb.jpg) \n*   1:26 The best friends who found they were brother and sister. 00:01:26, play video The best friends who found they were brother and sister![Image 12: Dave Green and Andrea Urmston](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/0e24/live/c067b360-8749-11f1-b2ab-0dd01740f9f6.jpg) \n*   0:54 Man sues ChatGPT for near-fatal medical advice. 00:00:54, play video Man sues ChatGPT for near-fatal medical advice![Image 13: The ChatGPT symbol against a circuit board](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/eb32/live/628a8090-8755-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg) \n*   0:56 Daughter proud as mum graduates after husbands covid death. 00:00:56, play video Daughter proud as mum graduates after husbands covid death![Image 14: Mother and daughter hugging on her graduation day](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/7681/live/0b89f300-8766-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg) \n*   0:59 Where will new PM Andy Burnham's No 10 North be? 00:00:59, play video Where will new PM Andy Burnham's No 10 North be?![Image 15: Andy Burnham walking, holding a red folder and wearing a dark suit](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/f922/live/4f58fde0-86b9-11f1-926f-c90d1bcfbc84.jpg) \n*   0:44 Can you be fined for using a hosepipe? 00:00:44, play video Can you be fined for using a hosepipe?![Image 16: A hand holding a  hosepipe sprinkler attachment, which is spraying water. 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