GM586

Carn Castell y Meibion ring cairn  

18/08/2004  

Designated  

Merthyr Tydfil  

Cyfarthfa  

303532  

203119  

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, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c.2300 BC - 800 BC) and is situated within forestry on the saddle between Twyn Gwersyllfa to the north-west and Twyn Ddisgwylfa Fawr to the south-east. The well-preserved ring cairn is circular on plan and measures about 8m in diameter within a stony ring bank about 3m in thickness and up to 0.2m in height. The ring cairn has an irregular interior surface, thinly spread with stones; and there is a slight gap in the east side of the ring bank. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. The monument is well preserved and is an important relic of a prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of both ritual deposits and environmental and structural evidence. The area scheduled comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.