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Bryn Celli Ddu 12

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Moving a stone

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Rhiannon Feb 20, 2014 08:41:26

Replying to Rhiannon

So the lovely carved stone with the pattern, this picture
http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/post/57470/bryn_celli_ddu.html
looks like it was found in the ground.
So now (a copy of) it's perched outside the front entrance of the tomb. But I should assume it was never there at all? And maybe wasn't supposed to be seen, even (like the hand prints on the pool farm cist)? Or was it standing up somewhere and then fell over in the dim mists of time? I've not really thought about it before. Does anyone here know its story of discovery / interpretation offhand?

moss Feb 20, 2014 09:06:12

Replying to Rhiannon

Rhiannon wrote:

"A similarly patterned stone was found at Bryn Celli Ddu (Anglesey). However, here the stone was discovered lying face down in a pit beneath the tomb's chamber where it must have been buried before tomb building began. Was it buried in order to sanctify the site, or was it buried to hide it away? - another unanswered mystery."

http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/rhagor/article/1969/

Mysteries of which there are many round megalith stones, and I don't know the answer to the fossilised tree stone Rhiannon! though I dearly would like to know.

edit; could not resist finding the Standing with Stones clip on this....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IubRw2ko69U

Megalithics Feb 20, 2014 21:37:50

Replying to Rhiannon

Rhiannon wrote:

But I should assume it was never there at all? And maybe wasn't supposed to be seen, even (like the hand prints on the pool farm cist)? Or was it standing up somewhere and then fell over in the dim mists of time? I've not really thought about it before. Does anyone here know its story of discovery / interpretation offhand?

The stone circle integral to the original henge monument was extensively destroyed and the remains purposefully buried before the passage grave was built on top of it. The carved stone was probably part of a central construction on the circle henge, it certainly predates the passage grave. Why it was simply buried alongside the central ear-bone pit, and not smashed as many of the circle stones were, remains a mystery.

We've got a blurb about this on our site:-

http://www.megalithics.com/wales/brynceli/celimain.htm

Would love to see the original stone!