ME228

Maen y Rhos Standing Stone  

27/11/2002  

Designated  

Gwynedd  

Llandderfel  

296671  

340037  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

Standing Stone  

Prehistoric  

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument. The monument comprises the remains of a large, impressive and well-preserved standing stone, which probably dates to the Early Bronze Age (c. 2000-1500 BC). It is some 1.7m high, 0.75m wide and 0.45m thick, with the longer axis aligned north-east to south-west. It is situated in an upland valley at the head of Nant Lleidiog and is associated with burnt mounds. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. It 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 intact burial or ritual deposits, environmental and structural evidence and preserved prehistoric ground surfaces below and around the monument. Standing stones are often part of a larger cluster of monuments and their importance can be 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.