Bron-Llety-Ifan cairns and cup-marked rock

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 two round burial cairns and a cup-marked rock, all probably dating from the Bronze Age (c.2300 BC - 800 BC). The monuments are situated around the base of a prominent local rocky knoll on a NW-facing terrace looking out over the Mawddach estuary and below the steep slopes of Braich Ddu. The southernmost cairn is circular on plan and measures about 6m in diameter over a kerb comprising of massive stone slabs. The northernmost cairn is circular on plan and measures about 4m in diameter and up to 0.3m in height. The cup-marked rock is roughly situated between the two cairns and to the E of the outcrop; roughly cubic in shape, it measures roughly 2m in length by 1.8m transversely and 1.1m in height. At least eight cupmarks and two possible cupmarks are visible on its upper surface; the smallest cupmark measures 40mm in diameter and 5mm in depth and the largest cupmark measures 70mm in diameter and 15mm in depth.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial rites and ritual, 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. Its importance is further enhanced by the rarity of prehistoric rock art such as the cup-marked rock in the archaeological record of Wales.

The scheduled areas comprise the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. The area containing Items A and B is rectangular and measures 40m from NE to SW by 20m transversely. The area containing Item C is circular and measures 20m in diameter.