Lligwy Burial Chamber facts for kids
The Lligwy Burial Chamber is an ancient tomb from the Stone Age, called the Neolithic period. You can find it near Lligwy Bay on the east coast of Anglesey, a beautiful island in Wales, UK. Imagine a circle of huge standing stones, topped with a giant rock that weighs about 25 tonnes! This big stone forms the roof of the chamber.
Archaeologists dug here in 1909. They found the bones of about 15 to 30 people inside. They also found old pottery, which helped them guess the tomb was used in the late Stone Age. The chamber is easy to reach, just a short walk from the road near the village of Moelfre.
Contents
What is the Lligwy Burial Chamber?
Lligwy Burial Chamber is a very strong and old Stone Age tomb. Eight tall stones stand upright to hold up the huge capstone, which is the roof stone. These stones are taller than they look because about 1 metre (3 feet) of their height is buried underground.
The capstone itself is enormous! It is about 5.5 metres (18 feet) long and 4.5 metres (15 feet) wide. It is also around 1 metre (3 feet) thick. Experts believe this massive stone weighs about 25 tonnes, which is like 25 small cars! Only three of the upright stones actually touch the capstone.
There is a gap between the stones on the east side. This gap might have been an entrance passage to the tomb. We don't know if this tomb was once covered by a mound of stones, called a cairn. If it was, there are no signs of it left today. Deep grooves on the capstone suggest that rain has worn it down over time. This also makes it seem unlikely that it was covered by a cairn.
Discoveries Inside the Chamber
In 1909, archaeologists dug inside the Lligwy Burial Chamber. They found interesting items in two different layers of soil. This tells us that the site was used during two separate times in history.
They found the bones of up to thirty people inside the chamber. They also discovered shells from shellfish like mussels and limpets. Many animal bones were found too.
Pieces of pottery from two different periods were present. Some pottery was "grooved ware" from the Neolithic (Stone Age) period. Other pottery was "beaker ware" from the early Bronze Age. This shows the chamber was important for a long time.
About 400 metres (1,300 feet) to the west, you can find the Din Lligwy hut circle. However, this is a much newer site. It was likely built between the second and fourth centuries AD, long after the burial chamber was used.
Protecting This Ancient Site
Lligwy Burial Chamber is a very important historical place. It is protected as a scheduled ancient monument. This means it is a nationally important archaeological site.
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales helps look after the records for this site. They have many digital images and old photographs of the chamber. They also keep records from Cadw, which is the Welsh government's historic environment service.
Using Technology to Explore
The HeritageTogether project has used a special technique called photogrammetry. This technique uses many photos to create amazing 3D models of the site. It helps people explore the Lligwy Burial Chamber from anywhere!
Visiting Lligwy Burial Chamber
The Lligwy Burial Chamber is looked after by Cadw. It is open to everyone, and it's free to visit all year round. However, it is closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day.
The chamber is very close to the road. You can easily walk to it from a small parking area. This parking spot is on a quiet road, about 1.2 kilometres (0.75 miles) north of Llanallgo.
