Volunteer archaeologists have stunned experts by unearthing evidence of an ancient conflict which took place hundreds of years before Egypt’s pyramids were built. A 6 year old schoolboy was first to spot a Neolithic relic dating back to 3,600BC.

More than 250 volunteers from the Caer Heritage Project took part in the dig at the hillfort in Caerau, Cardiff in early July. Experts from Cardiff University were shocked as volunteers unearthed a plethora of early Neolithic finds. Finds range from flint tools and weapons (including arrow heads), awls and scrapers as well as polished stone axe fragments and pottery.

A dig last year revealed the fort was a site of a powerful Iron Age community. The latest discovery pushes back findings by a further 4,000 years.

‘‘Quite frankly we were shocked. Nobody predicted this’’ said the dig’s co-director Dr Dave Wyatt from Cardiff University. ‘‘What’s really great about this story is that we’ve made the Neolithic discoveries with the help of local people’’ he added.

Oliver Davies, co-director explained ‘‘the ditches appear to date to the early Neolithic. The location and number of finds indicate we have discovered a causewayed enclosure where small communities gathered together. Such sites are very rare in Wales with only five other known examples. What’s fascinating is that a number of the arrow heads were broken as a result of impact – this suggests some form of conflict occurred at this place over 5,000 years ago’’.