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I came across a strange, circular stone with a central hole - located just below the rock piles/quarried rock, near the ancient cairns at Mynydd Llangatwg (Twr Pen-Cyrn) near Brynmawr. I have some good photos - but as a newbie, can't work out how to attach them...

The stone is lying flat and is around 1.5 metres in diameter and around 70 cms deep. It's not quite perfectly circular, it has some small irregularities at the edges, but does have a circular hole right through its centre. It is also pretty flat across the top. I wouldn't know exactly what to look for in terms of evidence of hand working, especially given its (apparent) age and weathering - but it certainly gives the sense of having been made or cut by humans.

The central hole is interesting too: it's very circular for 75% of its depth and then somewhat less regular towards the bottom.

Anyone else come across this specific stone? or others like it? Any ideas what it might be?

A rejected millstone?

ClydachGeorge wrote:
The stone is lying flat and is around 1.5 metres in diameter and around 70 cms deep. It's not quite perfectly circular, it has some small irregularities at the edges, but does have a circular hole right through its centre. It is also pretty flat across the top. I wouldn't know exactly what to look for in terms of evidence of hand working, especially given its (apparent) age and weathering - but it certainly gives the sense of having been made or cut by humans.

The central hole is interesting too: it's very circular for 75% of its depth and then somewhat less regular towards the bottom.

Sounds like a rejected millstone. From your description the central bore cut smooth for much of the centre but "punched through" the last section causing some splintering (like a circular bore through a piece of wood - without anything behind it to give it strength/ resistance to the "punch through").

I've seen rejected millstones in lots of strange places. It seems it was mostly just not worth the bother of carting any broken ones or failed attempts away.

The second flat stone from the right of the group of three standing stones is a failed attempt at transforming a standing stone into a millstone...

http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/img_fullsize/39881.jpg

An image workaround - https://flic.kr/s/aHskKoioN5