History
Barclodiad y Gawres is the largest Neolithic burial chamber in Wales dating from around 3,000-2500 BC. It served as a common tomb and a place of religious gatherings of the local early agricultural community, for several generations. The end of its functioning came with the advent of the Bronze Age. During the archaeological research, inside, two male crematory burials were discovered, and in the central chamber, traces of the fire and the remains of food. The significance of the ceremonies is unknown. The tomb was discovered and examined in the 1950s, when its earth dome was reconstructed. The name of the tomb Barclodiad y Gawres means “The apron of the giant” and derives from the local tradition.
Architecture
Barclodiad y Gawres was situated on the rocky, highest point of the coastal promontory of Mynydd Cnwc. It was designed as a cross-passage tomb, with a single central passageway leading from the north to an irregular central chamber. From this, three further entrances led to smaller chambers, giving the whole a cross-shaped plan. The western chamber had a smaller annex, where the cremated remains of two men were discovered. The two other chambers, branching off from the central room, were also used for storing cremated remains. A somewhat unusual, but occasionally encountered, was the entrance located on the north side, rather than facing the rising sun.
The burial chambers and passages were supported by several dozen large erratic stones, placed with their long sides vertical and their narrow sides closely spaced. Further stones, shaped like broad slabs, were used to roof the passages and side chambers. The central chamber was larger, so it was covered with a stone ceiling supported by cantilevered stones (each successive stone overlapped the one below, until the central section could be closed with a single stone).
The stones forming the walls and ceilings were not worked (the structure was built before the invention of metal tools), but were simply selected for their size and shape. Some of them, however, were decorated. Three stones in the passage and the final stones in the western and eastern chambers were covered with carved designs in the form of zigzags, spirals, and lozenges. It did not represent specific things, but rather had symbolic meaning, perhaps referring to the passing of time or related to ancestors worship.
The entire burial chamber, including the entrance passage, was originally covered by a stone and earth cairn, 27 meters in diameter and at least 1.8 meters high. Its plan was roughly circular, with a slight opening on the northern side, where the entrance led to the burial chamber. The base of the mound could have been faced with larger stones than those used in the higher and deeper parts of the cairn.
Current state
Barclodiad y Gawres is one of the largest preserved Neolithic burial sites in Wales. Thanks to reconstruction work carried out in the 20th century, it is now an outstanding example of a Neolithic, cairn-covered passage tomb, although the chamber ceiling has been reinforced with a cement screed. Of particular note are the five engraved stones (at the rear of the eastern chamber, in the passage at the tomb’s entrance, in the western chamber, at the entrance to the central chamber). The historic structure is now cared by Cadw, a Welsh government heritage organization, which also allows visitors to explore the interior from April to October, on weekends and public holidays. A torch is required to explore the interior.
bibliography:
Castleden R., Neolithic Britain: New Stone Age sites of England, Scotland and Wales, London 1992.
Haslam R., Orbach J., Voelcker A., The buildings of Wales, Gwynedd, London 2009.
The Royal Commission on The Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions in Wales and Monmouthshire. An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Anglesey, London 1937.