The Carneddau’s prehistoric stone cairns date to the Early Bronze Age (roughly 4,500 – 3,500 years ago). They were built during the same period as the other ceremonial monuments, such as stone circles and standing stones, that are common in the lower slopes and passes of the Carneddau. The Carneddau has one of the densest concentration of prehistoric ceremenonial and burial monuments in the UK.
Some cairns contained burials. The acidic Carneddau soils don’t preserve bone, but cists (stone slab boxes) in some cairns indicate burials of whole bodies in a curled-up position on their side. Very few cairns in the Carneddau’s have been excavated but cremated bone, which survives better in the soil, has been found in some and in similar examples beyond the area. But it also seems that many cairns did not contain human remains and it is likely that they were built to celebrate ancestral spirits or deities or to commemorate individuals without being graves (a bit like cenotaphs). It is probably best to think of cairns first and foremost as marking sacred places in the landscape, acting as a physical symbol of a connection between the human and supernatural worlds. Human burials could be part of the ritual practices at them, but not always.
The cairns situated on the high mountains can be seen from great distances. They show the importance of the Carneddau uplands to prehistoric communities.
We are raising awareness of the history and significance of the Carneddau’s cairns, to promote better understand and protection.
We are monitoring the sites through different forms of recording, such as drone photography. We are also carrying out conservation work, including volunteers helping to cut and remove scrub vegetation that is damaging the monuments.
In collaboration with Scottish Power we are removing a wooden electricity pole that was dug into the middle of a prehistoric cairn at Cefn Coch, above Penmaenmawr, many years ago. The pole and the cables it carries will be moved away from the large group of scheduled monument of which the cairn is a part.
Join in, and volunteer for one of the project’s scrub-removal and condition-monitoring days. Check out our Uncovering Ancient Monuments project for more information.
Take part in one of the project’s guided archaeological walks or informative talks. Check out our events page.
If you walk on the landscape, talk to other walkers about the history of the cairns to help raise awareness of their historical significance. And if you see people moving stones from the cairns, let us know and report it as a crime.
It is a crime to use metal detectors on scheduled monuments without written permission from Cadw beforehand. This includes the use of earth metal detectors as well as underwater metal detectors. For more information, click here.
Join in, and volunteer for one of the project’s scrub-removal and condition-monitoring days. Check out our Uncovering Ancient Monuments project for more information.
If you walk on the landscape, talk to other walkers about the history of the cairns to help raise awareness of their historical significance. And if you see people moving stones from the cairns, let us know and report it as a crime.
Take part in one of the project’s guided archaeological walks or informative talks. Check out our events page.
It is a crime to use metal detectors on scheduled monuments without written permission from Cadw beforehand. This includes the use of earth metal detectors as well as underwater metal detectors. For more information, click here.
