Prehistoric?

Sarn Meyllteyrn 1

Image by Meic

Kammer Jan 13, 2005 15:02:26

This looks a lot like a cross shaft...

http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/254

Are there any grounds to think that it's prehistoric?

K x

StoneLifter Jan 13, 2005 15:14:51

Replying to Kammer

Try lichenometry ...

Rhiannon Jan 13, 2005 16:15:13

Replying to Kammer

If you look on the 1:25,000 os map it *is marked as a standing stone. Not that that's 'proof'. And it's listed on Coflein
http://www.coflein.gov.uk/pls/portal/coflein.details_test?inumlink=6000619
Though they're not giving any date.

It could be a cross shaft, but in the photos it's not a consistent cross section, it looks a bit wibbly - if that means anything.

BigSweetie Jan 13, 2005 17:06:36

Replying to Kammer

difficult to tell without "seeing" it, but compare and contrast with the High Keillor stone in Perthshire:

http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/3020

which is a standing stone re-used as a Pictish symbol stone, and is a very thin slab

Cheers
Andy

StoneLifter Jan 13, 2005 17:13:06

Replying to Kammer

This is one of the few stones in Wales that I have actually seen and I am in no doubt that the standing stone predates the churchyard by several millennia. It is of the type that is sometimes seen at the centre of a small circle. TomBo used to call them Bo-stones. There's one in Smithills that's been used as a gatepost.

megalith6 Nov 5, 2007 05:28:47

Replying to Kammer

Kammer wrote:

This looks a lot like a cross shaft...

http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/254

Are there any grounds to think that it's prehistoric?

K x

would have thought a cross shaft should be regular of even tapering as it ascends -

http://z.about.com/d/goireland/1/0/b/6/-/-/anatomy_of_a_high_cross.jpg

this stone appears to be neither?

Ric

Etton Nov 5, 2007 20:23:05

Replying to Kammer

According to the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, it's prehistoric. You'd have to contact the Gwynnedd Archaeological Trust who maintain the SMR/HER for the full record to get more details though. The period may only be assigned tentatively, of course.