Maen Madoc, the standing stone’s latin inscription reads: ‘Of Dervacus, Son of Justus. He lies here’. This dates from the fourth century, although the stone may be much older.
It is unclear whether the romans chose to bury Dervacus at this site because their road, Sarn Helen, passed it and it was an obvious landmark, or they raised it to commemorate him. To some the inscription may negate the stone’s validity as a prehistoric monument.