GM176

Maen Cattwg (cup-marked stone)  

 

Designated  

Caerphilly  

Gelligaer  

312704  

197425  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

Cup Marked Stone  

Prehistoric  

The following provides a general description of the scheduled monument. The monument comprises a cup-marked rock, probably dating from the Neolithic or Bronze Age period (c. 4,000 BC - 1,000 BC). Cupmarks are simple round depressions carved on stone surfaces, probably created by using a pecking technique. They are usually found on prominent natural boulders and rock outcrops, but are also occasionally found on standing stones, on the stones of stone circles and on stones incorporated into burial chambers and cists. Cupmarks can form impressive works containing complex arrangements of cups with multiple rings and grooves, often with connecting gutters, although they are more often found as small clusters on a suitable boulder or outcrop. Such rocks have been explained as territorial markers, sacrificial altars or religious symbols for use perhaps in rites of passage and ancestor worship. The stone is roughly rectangular and flat-topped and measures 2m by 1.5m by 0.5m. On its upper surface are approximately 40 cup marks, some larger and deeper than others. Two are joined by grooves. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric ritual practices. The monument retains significant archaeological potential with a strong probability of associated archaeological features and deposits and forms an important element in the wider prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape. Cup-marked stones 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.