Notes on new rock art found at Barclodiad y Gawes (ANG 4)

George Nash, Abby George, Debbie Hudson, Ann Smith & Adam Stanford - Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Bristol & Archaeology Safaris.

The Neolithic passage grave of Barclodiad y Gawres is located on an exposed peninsula on the western side of the island of Anglesey and was excavated between 1952 and 1953 by Terrence Powell and Glyn Daniel. It is one of three highly decorated passage grave monuments in England and Wales that date to the Late Neolithic (c. 2,500 BC). The megalithic art from this site is regarded as an outstanding example (Lynch 1970, 40).

The site, comprising a circular mound with passage and chamber has within its architecture five stones that have been pecked with geometric art. The art consisting of concentric circles, chevrons, cupmarks, lozenges, serpentine motifs and spirals are carved on strategically placed uprights in the inner passage and chamber areas. One stone, forming the northern upright of the eastern chamber was previously unrecorded during the 1952-3 excavation.

In February 2006 a team from the University of Bristol organised by Archaeology Safaris, recorded the stone using a variety of techniques including digital photography and tracing on acetate. The results from this fieldwork acknowledged the initial discovery in 2001 by Maggie and Keith Davison and was duly reported to Cadw on March 9th 2006.

Recording of the new carving began on the 7th March 2006 and followed a reconnoitre by the same team on 12th September 2004 and in February 2006. The pecked lines that are not as clearly defined as those on other stones are arranged to form a series of geometric patterns. The fine pecking technique has helped to conceal them until very recently. Following a detailed study of the monument it was revealed that the original excavation team had missed this and several other stones that contained rock art. Other stones highlighted by the Bristol University survey team included stones within the western chamber each possessing several cupmarks (Stones 20 and 21). A single cupmark was also recorded on the north-eastern corner of the capstone that covers the southern chamber.

The newly discovered decorated stone, referred to in Powell and Daniel’s excavation volume as Stone 7 (Shee-Twohig’s classification: Stone C2) forms the northern wall has been hidden away from any natural light source. It is only the passage, the central gallery and the southern chamber that are illuminated by natural light. However this was probably not the case during the Neolithic though. The constricting passage, strategically set door and threshold stones plus periodic blocking would have further restricted the natural light. Excavation revealed a hearth within the central chamber area and this would have provided the necessary light source in order that the decorated stones could be ‘read’. Today the eastern and western chambers can only be seen by using an artificial light source and it is probably this factor that has kept hidden the secrets of the art of the stone.

The decoration on the stone comprises a series of vertical and horizontally pecked lines that form a chevron. These lines, located on the inward face converge towards the centre of the stone and merge into a lightly pecked disc section, measuring around 4cm in diameter. The pecked chevron extends to the western edge of the stone, onto the side face. Centrally placed on the side face is the lower section of a single lozenge measuring around 22cm x 19cm. Apart from the chevron design there appears to be another phase of carving on the northern face of the stone. The horizontal lines that construct the chevron appear to have been either extended or the chevron has been carved over an earlier design comprising of a series of four horizontal lines. The designs appear to be the result of a two phases of artistic endeavour and were probably executed by an individual artist or school of artists returning to the site, probably the same person or group who pecked the other stones.

Several elements on this stone have similar design traits with other decorated stones within the inner passage and chamber area and with several stones that once formed a passage grave near Calderstones Park in Liverpool.
References

Lynch, F. M. 1967. Barclodiad y Gawres: Comparative Notes on the Decorated Stones, Arch. Camb. Vol. CXVI. 1-22.

Lynch, F. M. 1970. Prehistoric Anglesey. Anglesey Antiquarian Society.

Powell, T.G.E. & Daniel, G. E. 1956. Barclodiad y Gawres: The Excavation of a Megalithic Tomb in Anglesey. Liverpool University Press.

Shee-Twohig, E. 1981. The Megalithic Art of North-Western Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Further Notes:

The discoveries and subsequent recording work were carried out on field trips organised and run by Archaeology Safaris, as part its Anglesey Rock Art Project (ARAP).
See also: http://www.archaeology-safaris.co.uk/project-arap.html

Archaeology Safaris is essentially a research organisation with an outreach facility, inviting people to take part in field trips for enjoyment education and experience. For those interested in getting involved in a more practical way, there is the opportunity to take part in field research weekends, such as those carried out for the ARAP.

Archaeology Safaris is entirely self-funded and relies heavily on the good will of the people taking part in the research, field schools and field trips.