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Three Round Cairns on Carn Caca is a prehistoric kerb cairn located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference GM385. Kerb cairns are Bronze Age burial monuments typically consisting of a central mound of stones surrounded by a defined perimeter of upright or pitched stones, often containing cremated remains within cist burials. This example sits upon bedrock of the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, geology formed during the Westphalian period that comprises mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete. The compact, layered nature of these deposits would have provided a stable foundation for the monument's construction.
The three separate round cairns that make up this group suggest successive or related burials across the Bronze Age period. The kerbing technique used here—setting stones vertically to define the cairn's edge—was common practice in Wales during this era, helping to contain the central mound whilst creating a visually distinct ceremonial boundary. The ferricrete nodules present in the local bedrock may have been incorporated into the superstructure, adding durability to the monument as it sat exposed on the Welsh uplands for over three thousand years.
Three Round Cairns on Carn Caca is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM385. View the official record →
Three Round Cairns on Carn Caca is a prehistoric kerb cairn located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference GM385.
Three Round Cairns on Carn Caca dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a kerb cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Three Round Cairns on Carn Caca 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 GM385.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Nant Herbert Camp (6.7 km), Cefn yr Argoed Camp (6.7 km), Pont Fawr Aqueduct / Viaduct (7.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Three Round Cairns on Carn Caca'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.
Three Round Cairns on Carn Caca 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.