CM289

Burnt Mound 250m S of Cwm  

09/10/1996  

Designated  

Carmarthenshire  

Llanfihangel Aberbythych  

261263  

218761  

Domestic  

Burnt Mound  

Prehistoric  

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument. The monument consists of the remains of a burnt mound, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c. 2,300BC - 800BC). A burnt mound is an accumulation of burnt (fire-crazed) stones, ash and charcoal, usually sited next to a river or lake, with hearths and/or some form of trough or basin capable of holding water either within the mound or adjacent to it. This site lies alongside a stream and hedge in an area of boggy ground in a pasture field. It is oval-shaped measuring c. 12m long and 10m wide and rising to c. 1m high on the downhill side. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric ritual and funerary practices. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. The structure itself may be expected to contain archaeological information concerning chronology and environmental evidence. A burnt mound may be part of a larger cluster of monuments and their importance can further enhanced by their group value. The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.