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Saith Maen is a prehistoric stone alignment situated in Wales, protected as an ancient monument by Cadw. The monument consists of stones arranged in a linear formation, a characteristic type of ritual or territorial marker constructed during the prehistoric period. Such alignments typically served ceremonial, astronomical or boundary-defining purposes for the Bronze Age or earlier communities that established them.
The stones at Saith Maen rest upon bedrock formed from Dinantian rocks, which date to the Mississippian period. This geology comprises predominantly limestone with subordinate bands of sandstone and argillaceous rocks, typical of the carboniferous deposits underlying much of Wales. The underlying limestone would have influenced both the character of the landscape and the availability of stone suitable for monument construction by prehistoric peoples.
The site's name reflects its traditional recorded form, preserving local knowledge of the monument across generations. Today it remains an important archaeological resource, affording insight into prehistoric ritual practices and settlement patterns in the Welsh landscape. Its protection by Cadw recognises its significance as a record of Wales's pre-Roman heritage and its value to understanding ceremonial behaviour in prehistoric Britain.
Saith Maen is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR072. View the official record →
Saith Maen is a prehistoric stone alignment situated in Wales, protected as an ancient monument by Cadw. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference BR072.
Saith Maen dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a stone alignment. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Saith Maen 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 BR072.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ynysgedwyn Colliery, Fan House (5.3 km), Bryn Llechwen ring cairn (5.4 km), Coelbren Fort (5.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Saith Maen'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.
Saith Maen stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.