An archaeological evaluation of a wooded area near Monmouth has revealed it could have been a hillfort - and now a dig is taking place to find out more about the area.

The work took place in June organised by Churchill Archaeology focusing on the Iron Age hilltop enclosure in Buckholt Woods on behalf of Buckholt Bryngaer CIC.

It was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Before the dig, very little was known about the site, despite its designation as a scheduled monument.

With help from Amgueddfa Cymru, Churchill Archaeology welcomed 74 participants over five days for the dig.

During the dig it became clear that the enclosure was much more substantial than previously thought and is most likely a Hillfort.

Monmouthshire has previously been very Medieval-centric with research showing the area is a nationally significant prehistoric landscape which has previously been overlooked and is likely to reveal a wealth of information about our ancestors.

Dr Steve Burrow, deputy head of public history and archaeology for Amgueddfa Cymru, said: "The assemblage of lithics shown to me at Buckholt is, without question, the single most impressive earlier Neolithic collection from Wales that I’ve seen in my more than 25 years working in this field.

"As well as being impressive by quantity, it also includes pieces of exceptional quality. The large pieces of contemporary pottery which I understand have been found at the site are also suggestive of a significant and relatively undisturbed site which has the potential to significantly enhance our understanding of this early period in south east Wales."

With support from Amgueddfa Cymru and Cadw, Churchill Archaeology and Buckholt Bryngaer CIC have been granted additional funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The excavation began on both the Iron Age Hillfort and the new Neolithic site on October 2 and continues until October 13.

It is oversubscribed (50 people per day) as so many people from the community want to get involved, as well as archaeological professionals.

Dr Burrow said: "Most of the volunteers have never attended an archaeological dig before, but they all leave bursting to do more.

"The dig is halfway through and is already exceeding our expectations and creating a tidal wave of excitement in both academic and commercial sectors. Not only do we have imposing Iron Age structures and a large quantity of Neolithic pottery and flint tools, but we are about to discover if two mounds on the site are from the Bronze Age.

"To have all three Prehistoric periods so well preserved on one site is incredible."