This carved stone was buried beneath the tomb called Bryn Celli Ddu on Anglesey around 3000 BC. Its strange designs defy explanation, and the reason it was hidden beneath the tomb remains unknown. Yet this type of carving was used by the builders of tombs from southern Portugal, to Ireland and Anglesey. Its creation helped unify these sea-facing communities in a common approach to death.
Bryn Celli Ddu carved stone
Contributed by National Museum Cardiff
Most of the content on A History of the World is created by the contributors, who are the museums and members of the public. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not those of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ or the British Museum. The ´óÏó´«Ã½ is not responsible for the content of any external sites referenced. In the event that you consider anything on this page to be in breach of the site’s House Rules please Flag This Object.
About this object
Click a button to explore other objects in the timeline
- Location
-
Anglesey
- Culture
- Period
-
3000 BC
- Theme
- Size
- Colour
- Material
View more objects from people in South East Wales.
Find out more
Podcast
Highlights from the collection
´óÏó´«Ã½ iD
´óÏó´«Ã½ navigation
´óÏó´«Ã½ links
´óÏó´«Ã½ © 2014 The ´óÏó´«Ã½ is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.
Comments
We walked from Bangor to visit Bryn Celli Ddu and it was certainly worth it. It is a fantastic place and is really 2 Prehistoric sites in one. An earlier circle of standing stones (Hendge)surrounded by a bank and internal ditch. first stood on this fantastic site but it was later destroyed by the builders of this Megalithic burial chamber about 3,500 to 4,00 years ago.
What was once a huge Cairn. The existing mound is a partial reconstruction to allow access and also allows three stones from the old stone circle and two other features behind the chamber to be seen, the cairn covers a single polygonal chamber thats about 8 ft across, the chamber is reached by a long and narrow passage. The chamber contained skeletons when it was first opened.
We ate our dinner sitting in front of the entrance while a VERY large cow with horns took a great deal of interest in us and seemed to creep up menacingly and then it had a walk around the fenced off area of the site looking if we could get out without crossing it's field again. when it found we could it gave up and went away. untill after the cow had gone we did not know there was a way out with out crossing the field and we thought we would have to run for it with a mad cow chasing us.