Gwynedd Archaeological
Trust Regional Historic Environment Record
Ring Cairn, Moel Goedog
Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 1008 Trust : Gwynedd Community : Harlech Unitary authority : Gwynedd NGR : SH60993244 Site Type (preferred type first) : BRONZE AGE CAIRN Status : Scheduled Monument
Description : One of the stone circles has seven remaining stones standing to a height between 9 -21 inches, with the other stones around the 20ft diameter of the circle prostrate, including the largest of the group at over 4ft long. The second 20ft diameter, western circle is less well defined with all but 3 of the stones lying prostrate or out of the circle and a large gap on the east side. <1>
28 yards in circumference, this circle is one of a pair of cairn circles. The former has only about 8 stones around it, the biggest of which is a thin slab projecting 2ft above the ground. <2>
(Unpublished 1977) The site is set on a small hillside amongst scattered gorse hummocks and boulders and consequently is not particularly easy to recognise. One prominent upright stone stands on the western perimeter and seven or eight smaller stones and slabs, some leaning inwards as if partly collapsed, are ranged in a ring about 7.50m in diameter. The centre is grass grown and fairly level. Outside the circle proper the ground slopes away, but on the north side the tips of the stones protruding above the grass hint at further features, possibly a stone bank behind the uprights on the lower side. The monument has not been planned in modern times.
The condition of the western circle, March 1978: The monument has been traversed by hymac (mechanical excavator) and nearly all the stones pulled out. These are scattered over the site together with some boulders which probably do not belong to the monument. The area has been ploughed. The result is that there are a number of shallow scoops (most are 5-10 cm deep) some of which may have been the settings of stones, others are where machine tracks have ripped up the turf. The main stones may be recognised with some degree of certainty but the stone holes are far from clear. Only one hole is of any depth (about 25cm) and the others consist of ill defined scoops with small stones loosened and scattered within them. By no means all these scoops contained stones. The suggested bank on the NE can still be recognized and a length of its outer edge is undamaged. With the exception of the machine tracks and stone holes (stippled on the plan) the site is still under grass. <4>
Routine visit to this area revealed that some of the reinstated stones were in danger of toppling over through the action of sheep rubbing against them. <5>
Excavation of Moel Goedog was made in the winter of 1978. The circle 6.5-7m in diameter originally consisted of 12 upright stones in deep holes, none more than 1m high, banked by an infill of cairn material circa 3m wide and 2 or 3 stones high. Only 3 of the upright stones remained, 4 had been pulled out in January 1978 and 5 lost many years ago, but these stone holes and packing survived. Within the central area were 9 pits, the varying levels of which suggest a long sequence of activity. Most of them contained dark earth and charcoal, one deposit contained a charred urn and another included an urn containing a quantity of cremated bones. The earliest feature was a deep pit containing a very large unfilled with charcoal and cremated bones. The upright stones were replaced and new stones found for the other post holes. The eastern circle (PRN 1009) was not investigated. <6>
Impressive and well preserved monument, easily visible and complete despite previous excavation. The incorporation of small orthostatic stones makes it more fragile than 1009 but there is no sign of stock damage (Smith, 2001).
Ring cairn 1 that contained cremations in pits associated with Food Vessels and Collared Urns. There are 7 14C dates too.
This is one of 2 ring cairns set within hillslope of larger ritual and funerary landscape that also includes stone circles and standing stones. This one contained cremations and Collared Urns and Food Vessels. This is Moel Goedog 1
A series of shallow pits and hollows - a total of 10- were excavated inside the ring cairn which was c. 7.6m in diameter. Some contained only charcoal (mainly oak) - a total of 6 did this. Pyre debris or pyre site - one pit also had burnt clay so possibly was a pyre. The other 4 contained cremated bone and pots - mainly token cremations. One Enlarged Food Vessel and two Collared Urns; all were found inverted in the pits. Only two of these were associated with cremated human bone. One cremation was unurned (Grave Goods Project, 2020).
© GAT)
