A selection of The Citizen cairn’s favourite lowland sites from the past 10 years (with reasonably presentable digital images, that is).
Hardly any cairns, too.
Regions
Articles
Some more wanderings of The Citizen Cairn when looking at piles of old stones in Wales. Yeah, I know. Come up and see me, some time?
A selection of (mostly) Bronze Age upland cairns to be found under 2,000ft in that wondrous country know as ‘Wales’. They said it couldn’t be done. Hey, but The Citizen Cairn laughs in the face of adversity.
Another summary taster of some of Wales’ upland cairns.
15 mins in the company of some of Wales’ Prehistoric funerary cairns located above 2,000ft..
Ancient monuments across the UK face “complete destruction” from off-road bikers illegally using them as ramps and racetracks, archaeologists have warned.
Nestled within the valleys, hills and open fields of Wales, lies one of Western Europe’s most remarkable collections of prehistoric Neolithic burial chambers.
The Welsh Government’s historic environment service Cadw will remain part of Welsh Government for the foreseeable future, Culture Minister Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas confirmed today.
As a government division, Cadw has put a greater focus on diversifying its appeal over recent years, becoming more economically sustainable and improving its ‘big 10’ attractions – something which has paid dividends, with record attendance numbers in 2017, up 8.4% on the previous summer.
Earlier this year a steering group report (Historic Wales – A roadmap towards Success, Resilience and Sustainability for the Heritage of Wales) included a specific recommendation relating to the future governance of Cadw. A robust business case was then taken forward to identify the best option.
The business case considered the steering group’s recommendations that Cadw should become ‘a charitable body or an executive agency outside of Welsh Government’. This was measured against the status quo, undertaking an in depth analysis of the functions of Cadw and the drivers for change.
The case was taken to Cabinet colleagues in October, with Dafydd Elis-Thomas happy to implement the decision to accept its core recommendation that the successes of Cadw are best built on and developed from within Government.
The Culture Minister said:
“I have long admired the good work done by Cadw in showcasing some of the magnificent heritage we have here in Wales, opening it up for all to enjoy.
“This has been done largely from within Government, and whilst it was appropriate at this juncture to explore all avenues as to how we can build on this success, I’m pleased to implement Cabinet’s decision to accept the business case’s clear recommendation that Cadw should remain part of Welsh Government.
“But it is also imperative that Cadw looks to evolve and progress, keeping up with best practices and having the flexibility and courage to make the best decisions for all its stakeholders and for the thousands of historic sites that comprise our unique historic environment.
“On this basis, I’m equally pleased to accept recommendations relating to increased autonomy for Cadw in certain aspects. These include establishing a formal system of delegation and internal freedoms, making best use of strategic partnerships between national organisations and establishing an internal operating board.
“These recommendations will maximise the contribution that Cadw can make to an accessible and well-protected historic environment for Wales. In particular they will help ensure that the public continues to have the best possible quality monuments, attractions and events to enjoy.”
Cadw is the Welsh Government’s Historic Environment Service, working for an accessible and well-protected historic environment for Wales. It looks after and opens to the public 129 monuments across Wales. Of these, 29 are staffed sites and the remainder are free open-access sites.
gov.wales/newsroom/culture-tourism-sport/2017/171121-cadw-to-remain-in-government/?skip=1&lang=en
Welsh heritage bodies have rejected a formal merger of any of their functions.
But government-controlled Cadw will become independent in recommendations to Economy Secretary Ken Skates.
An independent review of National Museum Wales (NMW) will also be held and will be published by the summer.
It follows strong opposition to proposals to merge some commercial functions of heritage bodies into a new organisation Historic Wales.
google.co.uk/amp/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/38841763?client=safari
Summary of the Bill’s provisions
To give more effective protection to listed buildings and scheduled monuments
Extension of the definition of a scheduled monument
The Welsh Ministers will be able to recognise and protect any nationally important sites that provide evidence of past human activity.
Amendments to the criminal offences and defences for damage to scheduled monuments
The Bill will make it easier to bring cases of unlawful damage or destruction of scheduled monuments to prosecution by limiting the defence of ignorance of a monument’s status or location. The accused will have to be able to show that all reasonable steps had been taken to find out if a scheduled monument would be harmed or destroyed by their actions.
Powers of entry for the archaeological investigation of ancient monuments in danger of damage or destruction
If an ancient monument is at immediate risk of damage or destruction, the Welsh Ministers will be able to authorise archaeological excavations without the owner’s consent. This new power, which will help to rescue valuable information about Welsh history, will only be used in exceptional cases.
Introduction of enforcement and temporary stop notices for scheduled monuments
Temporary stop notices will give the Welsh Ministers powers to put an immediate halt to unauthorised works or other damage to scheduled monuments. They will be able to use complementary enforcement notices to order repairs to monuments or the fulfilment of scheduled monument consent conditions without going to court.
A new law to protect historical monuments and buildings in Wales aims to make it more difficult for those who damage them to escape prosecution.
It comes after 119 cases of damage to sites between 2006 and 2012 resulted in only one successful prosecution.
The Historic Environment (Wales) Bill will give ministers powers to make owners who damage monuments undertake repairs.
Councils can also take action to stop decay by recovering urgent work costs.
In 2013, a stretch of the 1,200-year-old Offa’s Dyke, on privately owned land between Chirk and Llangollen, was found flattened....
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-32587349
This is good news and hopefully extends to prehistoric monuments..
Find at Perthi Duon excavation site near Brynsiencyn could prove existence of a British Copper Age says archeology expert...
dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/anglesey-mysterious-artefact-discovered-neolithic-6997721
breconbeacons.wordpress.com/2014/03/06/first-prehistoric-rock-art-discovered-in-the-brecon-beacons/
Very similar to the beeb story posted yesterday which I suspect was based on this. With the following at the end which may be of interest to some:
The National Trust’s Council for British Archaeology Community Archaeologist, Charlie Enright will be arranging a number of archaeological and survey days in the area in the coming weeks. He added: “This is a fantastic opportunity to get local people involved in an exciting archaeological project. They’ll be working alongside and learning from professional archaeologists and other likeminded people, acquiring new skills and contributing to our understanding of this fantastic site. If people are interested then they should contact me straight away to book – places are limited!”
Volunteers will be undertaking a range of archaeological activities including:
Recording the stone with Dr George Nash.
Conducting a geophysical survey in the area surrounding the stone to see if we can find any evidence of past human activity below the surface.
Condition monitoring and a topographical survey of the surrounding archaeology.
If you are interested in taking part – places are limited so please book by contacting Charlie Enright, Community Archaeologist at the National Trust, at: [email protected]
Rare, prehistoric rock art which could be more than 4,000 years old has been discovered in the Brecon Beacons.
The Bronze Age discovery was made late last year by national park geologist Alan Bowring.
Experts claim the stone probably served as a way marker for farming communities.
Similar stones have been found in other parts of Britain but they are thought to be rare in mid Wales.
Its exact location in the Brecon Beacons is being kept a secret and news of its discovery comes after archaeologists found a similar ancient rock in the Scottish Highlands.
The Welsh stone is about 1.45m (4ft 9in) long and half a metre (1ft 8 in) wide, with 12 cup (hollow) marks of various shapes and sizes on the face.
It now lies flat on the ground but experts say it could have once stood upright.
There are no other later prehistoric standing stones within this part of Wales that are cup marked, making this one rather unique”
Mr Bowring was working on land maintained by the National Trust when he spotted the rock.
Sensing it was unusual, he sought advice from national park archaeologist Natalie Ward, who had experience of recording similar artefacts in the north of England.
“I often find myself working and walking in remote locations, and encountering hidden features in the landscape of south and mid Wales that few others will have seen,” said Mr Bowring.
“But this chance discovery, made whilst looking for clues to the site’s exciting geological history, appears to be significant in our understanding of human cultural history in the region.”
The National Trust’s own archaeological survey had already highlighted Bronze Age features in the area, giving some context to the stone’s past.
Dr George Nash, archaeologist and specialist in prehistoric and contemporary art at Bristol University, confirmed Mr Bowring had discovered the first prehistoric rock engraved panel recorded in the Brecon Beacons.
Dr Nash added that based on the shape of the stone and its engravings it probably came from the early to middle Bronze Age period – 2500 BC to 1500 BC – and it probably served as a way marker.
“We might have been able to predict a discovery of this kind considering the large amount of prehistoric ritual sites in the Brecon Beacons but this is the first evidence of prehistoric rock art to be ever recorded [in the Beacons],” Dr Nash said.
“There are no other later prehistoric standing stones within this part of Wales that are cup marked, making this one rather unique.”
He said the cup marks were the most common later prehistoric rock art form in Britain and Europe, but their occurrence in mid Wales was rare.
The Welsh Government would like your comments on a new proposal to give more effective protection to scheduled ancient monuments.
Between 2006 and 2012, Cadw received reports of 119 cases of unlawful damage to scheduled ancient monuments in Wales. However, there has been only one successful prosecution under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 in the last 25 years.
A number of respondents to last year’s consultation on proposals for the historic environment, ‘The future of our past’, expressed concerns about the rarity of successful prosecutions. Some called for changes to the Act’s permitted defence of ignorance of the status or location of a monument to make it easier to secure convictions for illegal damage.
Accordingly, the Welsh Government would now like to receive your views on a proposal to amend the offences and defences in the 1979 Act to modify the ‘ignorance defence’.
More details on the proposal are contained in a consultation document, which is available, along with a response form, on the consultation pages of the Welsh Government website.
Since responses are only being sought on a single proposal, the consultation period will be limited to six weeks running from 3 March to 14 April 2014. The consultation results will be available while there is still time to shape the provisions of the Heritage Bill, which is scheduled for introduction to the National Assembly for Wales in spring 2015.
Your thoughts on this proposal could help to improve the protection of scheduled ancient monuments in Wales, so be sure to take part in the consultation by submitting your reply by 14 April.
Sorry to be a bit tardy with this, but this is momentous news, making Wales the first country in the world to open a path around its whole coastline.
Linked with Offa’s Dyke Path, it makes a 1050-odd mile circuit around the whole country. Wow.
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17968524
Official website:
“A 2,000-year-old Iron Age fire guard has been accepted into Wales’ national museum in lieu of inheritance tax.
The Capel Garmon Firedog, once one of a pair on the hearth of a chieftain’s roundhouse, is regarded as one of the finest surviving prehistoric iron artefacts in Europe.”
More here...
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-16252711
And more about the artefact here...
museumwales.ac.uk/en/rhagor/article/1940/
Wonder what the maker / original owner would have made of it being used like this?!!!
From an item published on the BBC News web site on 8th August 2006:
Hot weather has produced parched landscapes which have allowed experts to detect the outlines of some of Wales’ earliest buildings...
See the aerial photos, including an image of the newly discovered circular enclosure and barrow near Aberystwyth.
Michaelmas Day was formerly regarded with suspicion in Wales. It was credited with uncanny power. There was an old superstition that on this night the Cistfaens, or warriors’ graves, in all parts of the Principality were illuminated by spectral lights, and it was very unlucky to walk near those places on Michaelmas Eve or Night; for on those two occasions the ghosts of ancient warmen were engaged in deadly fray around their lonely resting-places. (C. D. and Family Collection.)
From Marie Trevelyan’s Folk-lore and folk-stories of Wales (1909).
Self-explanatory link... there’s even an introduction from Iolo himself.
The List of Historic Place Names of Wales is a groundbreaking and innovative resource that contains hundreds of thousands of place names collected from historical maps and other sources. It provides a fascinating insight into the land-use, archaeology and history of Wales.
Some excellent aerial images of Bronze Age cairns... amongst other stuff. For those without personal air transport.
This autumn Plas Glyn-y-Weddw is delighted to present an outstanding group of views in Snowdonia by John Piper from the collections of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales.
On to the 13th December 2015
Like Coflein? Impressed by Archwilio? Well now you can enjoy the data from both of them together. In one place. On a high quality mapping layer.
That’s the end of sleep and bedtime for me then.
Exploring the submerged landscapes of Prehistoric Wales.
Our entire back catalogue is available through our bookshop.All out of print titles are now available as eBooks via Google Play with inventories published before 1965 being free of charge.
Not strictly megalithic, but anyone who has stood on one of Wales’ high places and wondered “what’s that big pointy hill over there?” should find it of interest.
A Welsh web site that has grown out of the publication of the very popular book ‘Meini Meirionnydd’. The site is currently under development but will eventually have information in Welsh about the Pre-history monuments of Wales.
