ME156

Mynydd Egryn Ring Cairn  

19/01/1996  

Designated  

Gwynedd  

Dyffryn Ardudwy  

261613  

320314  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

Ring Cairn  

Prehistoric  

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument. The monument comprises the remains of a ring cairn of earth and stone, which probably dates to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC). The cairn is a particularly fine example and lies in the Meirionnydd uplands. Excavation of the central area in 1919 failed to identify any evidence of burial but the structural features, most notably the distinctive kerb of outward leaning slones, have survived relatively undisturbed. These are an important diagnostic feature of a rare class of monument. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. The feature is an important relic of a prehistoric 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. Ring cairns 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.