Long-term NAS member Mel Taylor explains how frustrated divers make the most of terrible weather and find a way to contribute to the historical record.

The British weather, being as it is – predictably iffy – non-diving archaeological activities have been planned and carried out during this fieldschool. One of these was adding to Coflein historic records of significant monuments in the Abercastle area. Fellow NAS member Duncan Ross and I recently completed one of these Coflein records for the Carreg Sampson (sometimes spelt Samson) burial chamber which is thought to be 5,000 years old!

After our soggy hike along the coastal path, across the fields to the historic monument, we set about recording it. Our first activity was to draw the site (sketch below) because drawings often highlight the details that photographs fail to pick up.

Duncan and I also ventured inside the monument to record the internal features of the site.

Our archaeological tasks done in the wind and the rain, we headed back to our base of operations at Garn Isaf for a well-deserved brew and to write up our findings. Our report on this monument will be submitted to the national records of Wales and will be available for everyone to learn more about Carreg Sampson.

And despite the horrendous weather conditions our archaeological investigations were a fascinating alternative to our planned wreck dives and we got a lot out of it!