Pen Lan round barrow cemetery

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.

The monument comprises the remains of a prehistoric round barrow cemetery, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c.2300 BC - 800 BC). The cemetery contains the remains of three barrows, roughly aligned from WNW to ESE along the rounded brow of a ridge protruding from the W flank of Mynydd Pencarreg. The westernmost barrow, Item A, is a grass-covered stony mound, circular on plan and measuring 10m in diameter and up to 0.5m in height. The central barrow, Item B, is circular on plan and measures 12m in diameter over a low grass-covered stony bank about 2m in thickness. The easternmost barrow, Item C, is a grass-covered stony mound, circular on plan and measuring 13m in diameter and up to 0.4m in height.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial rites, social organisation and the environment. The features are important relics of a prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape and retain significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of both structural evidence and the presence of intact burial or ritual deposits.

The scheduled areas comprise the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. Area A, centred on Item A (Pen Lan barrow A, SN 5436 4352), is circular and measures 15m in diameter. Area B, centred on Item B (Pen Lan barrow B, SN 5444 4352), is circular and measures 17m in diameter. Area C, centred on Item C (Pen Lan barrow C, SN 5462 4348), is circular and measures 19m in diameter.