'This is an aspect of the "personality" of Wales which can be overlooked if the country is seen as no more than part of the Highland Zone of Britain. Eastwards, Wales faces the lowlands of England, but it also faces the western waters, with their network of sea-routes. People and influences came from the one direction and the other, and the interplay between what came by land and what came by sea is one of the most fascinating of the themes of the early history of Wales.'

And I completely agree. In June 2017, when Welsh Water carried out upgrades on a site at Llanfaethlu, archaeologists working on behalf of Welsh Water found evidence of prehistoric activity dating back around 4,000 to 6,000 years. Amongst the findings were flint tools. Silica-rich flint can be fashioned into a variety of tools, for example the knives and axes that I've been talking about. This site also contained burnt food, such as hazelnuts and other seeds, which will enable experts to radiocarbon the site and reconstruct the Neolithic diet.

Additionally, on Anglesey, one can find the mound in the dark grove, known as Bryn Celli Ddu, and Cadw says of this monument that it seems to have begun in the later Neolithic period, around 5,000 years ago, as a ritual enclosure. Cadw also notes that later in the Neolithic period, the henge made way for a passage tomb—a monument often found around the Irish seaboard and as far afield as Brittany. The real magnificence of this tomb is that it has been built with such accuracy that it is perfectly aligned to coincide with the rising sun on the summer solstice. The sun penetrates down into the inner burial chamber. Excavations there have led to 10 examples of rock carvings being found, as well as pottery and flint tools. Amazingly, the history of the site goes back even further as post holes found in the henge have been carbon-dated back to the Mesolithic period. And it just shows you that we're discovering constantly new insights into these sites and discovering others.

Another site of particular interest to me is the hillfort at Caerau, Cardiff. This was a major power centre for the region of Cardiff prior to the Roman invasion, and a major centre for many thousands of years. A six-year-old uncovered pottery and arrowheads there, and it emerged that Caerau was the home of a powerful community from at least 3,600 BC. Other arrowheads have been found that were broken, presumably from impact, and other weapons were found, indicating that a battle took place there some 5,000 years ago of great significance. And this is activity that goes back much earlier than we previously thought. And it just amazes me—a child out there suddenly finding these remarkable discoveries and then having the wit to ask about them and then them being identified by the various experts. This is, I think, what's wonderful about that particular project, which I'll talk a little bit about in a moment, again demonstrating that with constant discoveries, we are led to new interpretations of these sites, which is why they are so precious. CAER—Caerau and Ely rediscovering; the heritage project there—consists of archaeologists from Cardiff University along with Ely and Caerau Communities First. They aim to explore the history and archaeology of the Cardiff suburbs of Caerau and Ely, from prehistory through to the modern day, helping to connect communities with their heritage and develop educational opportunities. Their website notes that before the advent of the Roman invasion, Caerau hillfort was the major power centre for the entire Cardiff region, and is one of the largest and most impressive hillforts in south-east Wales. During the medieval period, a ringwork and church—St Mary's—were built within the ancient Iron Age boundaries, and their impressive remains can still be seen today, showing the remarkable continuity of that particular site. Again, I think that's another precious aspect of these monuments. 

Oliver Davis, who has worked on the project, said that:

'The location and number of Neolithic finds indicate that we have discovered a causewayed enclosure—a special place where small communities gathered together at certain important times of the year to celebrate, feast, exchange things and possibly find marriage partners'.

It was a key social development of the neolithic. Such sites, incidentally, are very rare in Wales, with only five other known examples, mostly in the south as it happens. 

In June this year, Cardiff University's Live Local Learn Local programme, in conjunction with the CAER Heritage Project, launched a six-week course, 'Hidden histories of Caerau and Ely', which delivers free accredited courses in communities facing social and economic challenges. What a wonderful idea that is. Five members of the community, along with several participants from further afield, took part in the course, and had a rare opportunity to visit the vaults of the National Museum of Wales to get valuable training in designing and executing museum exhibitions.

Deputy Presiding Officer, can I just say in conclusion that I welcome the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016, which this Government brought before us and enacted? I think it's really important that we see with the removal of the defence of ignorance of a monument or its location a way of establishing the responsibilities that property owners have when these monuments are discovered or, obviously, when they are looked after. There are so many—we are so rich in neolithic heritage that we must ensure that we preserve it as fully as possible, because we are reinterpreting, there'll be new discoveries in future generations, no doubt, and, with aerial photography becoming ever more sophisticated, down to the use of drones, we're discovering constantly new sites. There's one on the display of the earthwork that you can see from great height, but not from ground level. We also need to improve the awareness and public understanding of neolithic monuments, and I think the Caerau project is really important in this regard.  

Deputy Presiding Officer, can I just conclude by saying that the neolithic should be properly honoured, because it has a most special place in the story of Wales? Thank you.