Barclodiad y Gawres facts for kids
Barclodiad y Gawres is an ancient burial chamber found on the island of Anglesey in North Wales. Its name means "The Giantess's Apronful" in Welsh. This special place was built a very long time ago, during the Neolithic period. The Neolithic period was a time when people first started farming and building large stone monuments.
Barclodiad y Gawres is a type of tomb called a cruciform passage grave. This means it has a long entrance passage and a main room with smaller rooms branching off, like the shape of a cross. What makes it extra special are the amazing carvings found on its stones. You can find similar ancient tombs and carvings across the Irish Sea in the Boyne Valley in Ireland.
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Discovering the Past: Excavations
Archaeologists carefully dug up Barclodiad y Gawres in 1952 and 1953. After their work, the chamber was given a new concrete roof. This roof was then covered with grass to make it look like it did thousands of years ago. This helps protect the ancient structure.
What Was Found Inside?
During the digs, archaeologists made some interesting discoveries. They found the remains of two young men. Their bodies had been cremated, meaning they were burned. These remains were in one of the smaller side-rooms of the tomb.
In the main part of the chamber, they found evidence of an old fire. On this fire, someone had poured a special stew! This ancient stew was made from different animals. It included fish like wrasse and eel, and even frog and toad. They also found bones from a grass snake, a mouse, a shrew, and a hare. After the stew, the area was covered with limpet shells and small stones. This gives us a peek into what people ate long ago.
Amazing Stone Carvings
One of the most exciting things about Barclodiad y Gawres is its decorated stones. When the tomb was first excavated, five stones were found with incredible carvings. These carvings show patterns like spirals, zig-zags, diamond shapes (lozenges), and V-shapes (chevrons).
In 2001, even more carvings were found! A sixth stone with these ancient designs was discovered. These carvings are examples of rock art from a very long time ago. They tell us about the art and beliefs of the people who built this tomb.
Visiting Barclodiad y Gawres
Barclodiad y Gawres is located between the towns of Aberffraw and Rhosneigr. It sits on the north side of Porth Trecastell. You can easily reach it from the Anglesey Coastal Path. It's also just a short walk from the main road, the A4080.
The Welsh heritage group Cadw takes care of this important historical site. If you want to go inside the chamber, you can! From April to October, on weekends and bank holidays, you might be able to enter. You will need to be with a special keyholder. You can find out more about getting a key from the Wayside shop in Llanfaelog.
Gallery
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View from the entrance, showing surf in Cymyran Bay
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View eastwards over Porth Trecastell cove from the side of Barclodiad y Gawres
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The chamber; a small adult for scale
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Chevron marks on a stone in the chamber
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Spiral mark on a stone in the chamber
