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Tai'r Waun Isaf is a Bronze Age rock art site in Wales comprising a cup marked stone, a form of prehistoric rock carving characteristic of the period. The stone lies upon bedrock of the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, a geological sequence laid down during the Westphalian age and composed principally of mudstone, siltstone, and sandstone interbedded with coal seams, ironstone and ferricrete layers. This substantial underlying geology has provided a stable foundation for the carved stone across more than three thousand years.
Cup marks are simple, deliberately carved depressions found on rock surfaces throughout Britain and Ireland, created through sustained percussion during the Bronze Age or earlier periods. Their precise purpose remains debated amongst archaeologists, though interpretations range from ritual or ceremonial significance to practical marking or territorial indicators. The survival of this example at Tai'r Waun Isaf reflects both the durability of the underlying Coal Measures bedrock and the depth of percussion required by its maker.
The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh Historic Monuments service, under the reference GM637, securing its preservation for ongoing study and public access. As an archaeological record carved directly into the Welsh landscape, it provides evidence of Bronze Age activity and artistic expression within this region of South Wales.
Prehistoric Rock Art at Tai’r Waun Isaf is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM637. View the official record →
Tai'r Waun Isaf is a Bronze Age rock art site in Wales comprising a cup marked stone, a form of prehistoric rock carving characteristic of the period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM637.
Prehistoric Rock Art at Tai’r Waun Isaf dates from the bronze age period, and is classified as a cup marked stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Prehistoric Rock Art at Tai’r Waun Isaf is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is GM637.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Newbridge Beam Engine (5.3 km), Pen-y-Coedcae Roman Camp (6.5 km), Caerphilly Iron Furnace (7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Prehistoric Rock Art at Tai’r Waun Isaf's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Prehistoric Rock Art at Tai’r Waun Isaf stands on South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.