Explore the fascinating prehistory of the Gwent Levels at a stunning new exhibition at Newport Museum and Art Gallery.
The submerged prehistoric landscape of the Severn Estuary is amongst the most important ancient landscapes in Western Europe. Newport Museum is fortunate to curate a significant archive of material collected from and around the Gwent Levels.
Finds include rare stone tools made by Neanderthals; some of the oldest human remains discovered in southeast Wales; the almost complete skeleton of an extinct aurochs and sections of the Upton Trackway - the first prehistoric hurdle trackway discovered in Wales.
This material forms the core of Newport Museum’s Prehistory exhibition, which in partnership with the Living Levels project has been comprehensively re-displayed. The exhibition has involved the complete re-interpretation of the prehistoric collections, integrating replicas, reconstruction drawings and films to add context to artefacts.
Innovative research carried out by Reading, Bristol, Cardiff and Oxford Universities has been woven into the displays, including the life-size reproduction of 7,300 year-old footprints, recorded by Reading University at Goldcliff.
The re-display has also provided an opportunity to bring important items out of the store, such as the remains of a 3,000 year-old boat, also discovered at Goldcliff.
The result is an exhibition that celebrates the remarkable prehistoric archaeology of the Gwent Levels.
Please see Newport Museum and Art Gallery’s website for opening times and to book a free visit.
Please see Newport Museum and Art Gallery’s website for opening times and to book a free visit.