Burnt Mound North of Glanrhocca

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.

The monument consists of the particularly well preserved remains of a burnt mound, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c. 2,300BC - 800BC), and believed to represent the cooking debris of Bronze Age communities. A burnt mound is an accumulation of burnt (fire-crazed) stones, ash and charcoal, usually sited next to a river or lake, with hearths and/or some form of trough or basin capable of holding water either within the mound or adjacent to it. The site is visible today as a large crescent shaped mound measuring 17m x 15m and standing to a height of 0.8m. Auger testing in 1997 demonstrated that the mound is comprised of large quantities of solid charcoal and burnt stones.

There is every indication that the monument has remained substantially intact and undisturbed. It is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric ritual and funerary practices. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. The structure itself may be expected to contain archaeological information concerning chronology and environmental evidence and there is the possibility of preserved prehistoric land surfaces beneath it. A burnt mound may be part of a larger cluster of monuments and their importance can be further enhanced by their group value.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.