Rhos Lydan Round Barrows

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Rhos Lydan round barrows comprise the remains of two earthen built round barrows. Round barrows normally date to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC). They are primarily a funerary monument, and are usually circular in plan with a rounded profile, and generally contain one or more cremations or inhumations. Rhos Lydan round barrows lie within a pasture field on a south-facing gentle slope. Barrow A lies to the west and is approximately 1.7m high and 24m in diameter. It is mostly turf covered, but with several large boulders on the south-eastern side, and possible kerb stones visible in the south. Barrow B lies to the east and stands approximately 1.2m high and has a diameter of 22m. Very low circular mounds, no more than 0.2m high and 5m in diameter, on the south-west, north-north-west and eastern sides of Barrow B may represent the remains of satellite cairns.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. The features are an important relic of a prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape and retain significant archaeological potential. There is a strong probability of the presence of both intact ritual and burial deposits, together with environmental and structural evidence. Barrows may be part of a larger cluster of monuments and their importance can 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.