GM443

Site of Bodvoc Stone  

24/08/1990  

Designated  

Neath Port Talbot  

Margam  

283074  

188784  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

Ring Cairn  

Prehistoric  

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument. The monument comprises the remains of a ring cairn and stone. The ring cairn is approximately 13m in diameter, consisting of a low bank 3m wide and 0.3m high with a slight suggestion of an outer ditch. In the centre, until its removal to Margam Stones Museum, stood the 7th century AD memorial stone to Bodvoc, son of Catotigernus. A replica now stands on the site. The stone comprises a roughly squared upright pillar with rounded angles. The inscription is in debased Roman capitals. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of early medieval burial and ritual practices. The feature is an important relic of an early medieval funerary and ritual landscape and retains significant archaeological potential. There is a strong probability of the presence of both intact ritual and burial deposits, together with environmental and structural evidence. The stone forms part of a larger cluster of early medieval inscribed stones found in the region. This group value further enhances the significance of the monument. The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.