BR353

Banwen Gwys Round Cairns  

08/08/2007  

Designated  

Powys  

Ystradgynlais  

279809  

218360  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

Round Cairn  

Prehistoric  

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument. The monument comprises the remains of two burial cairns, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC) and situated in open moorland on a W facing terrace to the E of Gwys Fawr stream. The northernmost cairn is roughly circular on plan and measures c. 11m in diameter and up to 1m in height. There is a small hollow visible upon the W side of the cairn. The southernmost cairn is located c. 220m to the SSW on a slight local summit. It is roughly circular on plan and measures c. 9m in diameter and up to 1m in height. There is a small central hollow visible upon the cairn. The hollows on both cairns probably indicate antiquarian investigation or robbing, although both cairns remain substantially intact. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. The monument is an important relic of a prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape and retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of both intact burial or ritual deposits, together with environmental and structural evidence. The importance of the site is further enhanced by its association with another Bronze Age burial cairn located to the W. The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.