The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
Historic Environment Record
 

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Cairn, Risca

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 00116g
Trust : Glamorgan Gwent
Community : Risca
Unitary authority : Caerphilly
NGR : ST24359267
Site Type (preferred type first) : Bronze Age Round barrow

Summary :
A cairn upon Twm Barlwm hillfort, to the west of the motte ditch, has been interpreted as a funerary cairn, probably dating from the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age.

Description :
A cairn upon Twm Barlwm hillfort (00114g), to the west of the motte ditch (00115g), has been interpreted as a funerary round cairn, probably dating from the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age.

When investigated in 2022 (see E008464), the feature comprised a circular mass of stones measuring 9m in diameter and 0.5m in height. The structure was formed from quarried stone slabs retained by a kerb. No evidence for a ditch around the cairn is discernible, although this may have been hidden beneath the tumbled or washed down deposition surrounding it. The upper structure of the cairn was typically covered by a soil mound but this may have been weathered away, or damaged by the later disturbance as indicated by a central depression within the structure visible on the surface. The soil mound may have also provided a convenient nearby source of material when the adjacent motte was constructed. The barrow was located very close to the edge of the rock cut motte ditch and may have been slightly truncated by it (Logan 2022).

In 1957 it was reported that the cairn was covered in grass and measured 10m in diameter and 0.6m high, and had been slightly dug into on top. Its eastern edge was on the lip of the ditch that surrounds the Norman motte (00115g) (OS Record Card 1957). The mound is situated on a summit and has a level top with a 4m wide hollow at its centre. It has steeply sloping sides to the north and more gently sloping sides to the south. No ditch or kerbstones were evident.
Dimensions: diameter 11.3m; height 1.1m

GGAT 72 Prehistoric Funerary and Ritual Sites Project 2003.

Sources :
Logan, W. , 2022 , Twmbarlwm 2022: Archaeological Investigation
Pearson, A F and Lewis, R , 2003 , Prehistoric funerary and ritual sites. Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Monmouthshire, Newport, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan ( © GGAT)
02/PM List/Lillie MC/1991/Bronze Age Gwent (University of Nottingham dissertation) p60
01/MM Record Card/OS/1957/ST 29 SW 2
Pm desc text/Evans EM/2003/GGAT 72 Prehistoric Funerary and Ritual Sites Project

Events :
E002383 : Uplands Survey Mynydd Maen and Mynydd Henllys, Gwent SUR (year : 1997)
E008464 : Twmbarlwm, Risca (year : 2022)

Related records
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 00115g
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 00114g
National Monuments Record NPRN 307849 http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/307849/

Compiled date : 28-01-1988


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