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Tarren Maerdy cairn (E) is a prehistoric round cairn situated in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference GM575. The cairn stands upon bedrock formed from the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, a geological sequence dating to the Westphalian period composed of mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete. These sedimentary deposits, laid down in ancient deltaic and fluvial environments, underlie much of south Wales and would have provided suitable stone for cairn construction and likely shaped the landscape visible to its Bronze Age builders.
Round cairns of this type typically functioned as burial monuments, though their precise chronology and ritual significance varied across different regions and periods. The heaped stone construction protected and marked inhumations or cremations whilst also serving as prominent territorial markers across the upland terrain. The site's location reflects Bronze Age settlement patterns in south Wales, where such monuments cluster in areas offering views across valleys and accessible pastureland.
The monument remains an important archaeological record of prehistoric mortuary practice in its region and contributes to understanding Bronze Age society and land use in the upland areas of south Wales.
Tarren Maerdy cairn (E) is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM575. View the official record →
Tarren Maerdy cairn (E) is a prehistoric round cairn situated in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference GM575.
Tarren Maerdy cairn (E) dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a round cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Tarren Maerdy cairn (E) 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 GM575.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tarren Maerdy cairn (W) (0.1 km), Mynydd Ty'n-tyle cairns (1.5 km), Mynydd Maendy Hillfort (2.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Tarren Maerdy cairn (E)'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.
Tarren Maerdy cairn (E) 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.