Llannerch 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 a cup-marked rock, probably dating from the Neolithic and the Bronze Age periods (c. 4,400 BC - 1,000 BC). The earthfast boulder is situated in disturbed pasture, immediately adjacent to a farm track. At least eighteen cupmarks are visible on its upper surface. The largest cupmark measures 50mm in diameter and 20mm in depth. Cupmarks are simple round depressions carved on stone surfaces, probably created by using a pecking technique. They are usually found on prominent natural boulders and rock outcrops, but are also occasionally found on standing stones, on the stones of stone circles and on stones incorporated into burial chambers and cists. Cupmarks can form impressive works containing complex arrangements of cups with multiple rings and grooves, often with connecting gutters, although they are more often found as small clusters on a suitable boulder or outcrop. Such rocks have been explained as territorial markers, sacrificial altars or religious symbols for use perhaps in rites of passage and ancestor worship, although it is unlikely that we will ever know for sure.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric ritual practices. The monument retains significant archaeological potential with a strong probability of associated archaeological features and deposits and forms an important element in the wider prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape. It is probable that this boulder has been moved or cleared to its current location (there is a relatively sharp edge on its buried S side, suggesting a break). However, the rarity of the monument type and the possibility of it remaining in situ form the basis of this scheduling.

The area scheduled comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is circular and measures 4m in diameter.