Two Megalithic Burial Chambers

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Megalithic Burial Chambers
David Young the artist and a member of the MAA, has sent two of his evocative water colours. David writes. ‘Here are two water colours of mine that I did some years ago, based on photographs taken by me, of Pentre Ifan and Carreg Samson, Neolithic burial chambers in Pembrokeshire. The weather was not like that shown in the pictures. I remember deciding to make one peaceful and sunny and the other ominous and stormy. I think the representation of the monuments was fairly accurate, though not in the style that professional antiquarians would choose. I was attending the Summer Meeting of the Cambrians in 1992, but I have been to both sites since.’ He adds ‘Don't take the background hills in my picture as authentic. I used artistic licence to bring them nearer.’




Pentre Ifan, Pembrokeshire   © David Young


Carreg Samson Pembrokeshire   © David Young

Editor’s comments
Dating: Although these two tombs are in Pembrokeshire they are important examples of Megalithic tombs also known as cromlechs or dolmens which date to the Neolithic. Such tombs are found from Spain to Scandinavia. It was only in 1836 that Danish curator Thomsen noted that they were not found with metal tools. In 1863 the Secretary of the Cambrian Archaeological Society, Edward Barnwell, noted that they must therefore belong to the Stone Age.  They were constructed between 4000 BC until at least 3000 BC
Pentre Ifan is a classic example of a portal dolmen and today all you can see is the massive capstone of 16 tons and three stones. Two stones flank the entrance or portal which is sealed by a blocking stone. It would have been covered with a rectangular cairn or mound. Finds included a small quantity of burnt bone, probably human, pottery and flints.  There would probably have been a forecourt for rituals associated with the dead.
Carreg Samson, near Abercastle close to Fishguard, was possibly a passage tomb but all evidence of the passage which allowed entrance to the tomb is lost. With passage tombs the chamber is usually in the centre of the mound with access from a passageway through which people could walk or crawl depending on the height. Excavation in 1968, revealed four additional stone-holes, one having supported a further chamber stone, the others indicated a possible passage leading off to the NW. As you can see from the painting the sea is in the distance. Excavations uncovered a pottery vessel holding the cremated ashes of several people. The dolmen is composed of seven upright stones topped by a capstone over 4.5m long. The capstone is actually balanced on just 3 of the 7 support stones.
In Momouthshire: there are only 4 certain sites, Gwern y Cleppa, Heston Brake, Thornwell and Y Gaer Llwyd. The first 3 are on knolls or hills with views over the Bristol Channel and Y Gaer Llwyd is on higher ground with a possible sight line to the Bristol Channel. They are part of the Cotswold Severn Group stretching from Gower to the mouth of the Wye.
If you would like to write about one of these or have a picture please send it to me.
Thanks to:  David Young for his evocative water colours,

Sources used:
Sian Rees, A Guide to Ancient & Historic Wales, Dyfed, Cadw, First Edition. (1992)
Steve Burrow The Tomb Builders in Wales 4000-3000 BC, NMW, 2006.
Coflein. https://coflein.gov.uk/en/site/101450/details/pentre-ifan-chambered-tomb-near-nevern and https://coflein.gov.uk/en/site/94129/details/carreg-sampson-burial-chamber
See also Rick Peterson and Joshua Pollard, ‘The Neolithic: The First Farming Societies’ in The Gwent County History, Volume 1, UWP 2004

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