GM406

Tarren Deusant Sculptured Rock & Spring  

14/09/1979  

Designated  

Rhondda Cynon Taff  

Llantrisant  

305201  

187215  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

Decorated stone  

Unknown  

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument. The monument comprises the remains of a sculptured stone and nearby spring. It is not known which period this monument dates to, although the style of carvings on the stone may suggest an Iron Age (700BC - AD 74) or Roman date (AD74-AD410). It is situated on the western slope of a small river valley, towards the bottom of a vertical rock face. An unusual rock within the face of a natural stone outcrop has been carved with a number of different motifs. Masks/faces and a single full-length human figure have been carved into the stone around a large, oval inclusion in the rock. This inclusion is emphasised and outlined by a series of concentric lines. There are also two incised crosses (probably recent) and a few 18th-19th century initials. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric/and or Roman ritual practices. It is an important relic of a past ritual landscape and retains significant archaeological potential. The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.