Attitudes to Disposal of the Dead - Gazetteer Query Form

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Note that there may be a few slight discrepancies between counts given in the text and the returned results in the gazetteer. This is a result of corrections and amendments (not updates) made to the gazetteer since the research was published in BAR. This does not materially affect the picture presented but does add more detail.

Site name Ty-Isaf, Bre 5

Site number 48

Burial codes 5005 5009 5022 5023 5025 5027 5030 5031 5042 5047 5052 5053 5065 5075 5085 5093 5094 5104 5110 5111 5121 5122 5123 5124 5125 5129 5143 5154 5155 5159 5181 4001 4005 4022 4023 4025 4028 4030 4031 4041 4048 4051 4065 4075 4083 4092 4096 4104 4111 4123 4143 4154 4155 4161 4181

3500bc - 2500bc A trapezoidal cairn oriented N with a false portal, Chambers I and II opening respectively to west and east, a double rotunda linked with revetment walls of cairn on south, containing a large gallery (Chamber III) with single transept, and Chamber IV at the south end. The cairn was set on a natural base.

Chamber I (inner) was paved with flat slabs and contained human skeletal material of 17 individuals, the bones mostly in groups frequently of the cranium, lower jaw and one or two long bones carefully placed against side stones or pushed into crevices. Also there were found two leaf shaped arrow heads, flaked and polished axes, a bone pin, and a few Neolithic A pottery fragments. Some Beaker fragments were high up in the fill.

Chamber II was corbelled across the south west, and held a small quantity of human skeletal material but much Neolithic A pottery, six bowls being represented associated with finely comminuted charcoal. The floor was clay. Outside the entrance there were long bones suggesting remains of two articulated skeletons. A Neolithic A pot rim and a sandstone pendant were other finds.

Chamber III is a true transeptal gallery oriented SE. A stony clay floor (probably introduced) on the red loam of the site. Bones were grouped as in Chamber I, very broken, of at least 9 persons. Potsherds of Neolithic A were found. In the passage a second layer over that just described contained long bones which were the remains of an articulated burial or burials of 2 individuals.

Overall there were 33 individuals represented including 4 children. Some bones showed evidence of burning. The few animal bones were scattered: ox, sheep or goat, pig, dog, polecat and mole. The passage and Chamber I were practically full of stone debris including a few bone fragments and 2-3 tiny potsherds. One of these was a fragment of an A Beaker. Chamber II had less infilling.

2500bc-14/1300bc Chamber IV contained the base of a Bronze Age cinerary urn in the angle between the north east orthostat and a small upright slab, a small broken bone object (probably the plate of a knife or dagger handle), a bone pin fragment, and scattered throughout the chamber were cremated bones. The structure of the chamber was seemingly contemporary with that of the whole cairn but was in a poor state of repair. A few fragments of an A Beaker were found high up amongst stone filling Chamber I, the upper layers being disturbed.

Remains/Period Y5 Y4

County Powys

Region SW

National grid square SO

X coordinate 182

Y coordinate 291

Bibliographic source Grimes 1939a, 1960a, Lynch 1976

Query

Site name	Ty-Isaf, Bre 5
Site number	48
Burial codes	5005 5009 5022 5023 5025 5027 5030 5031 5042 5047 5052 5053 5065 5075 5085 5093 5094 5104 5110 5111 5121 5122 5123 5124 5125 5129 5143 5154 5155 5159 5181 4001 4005 4022 4023 4025 4028 4030 4031 4041 4048 4051 4065 4075 4083 4092 4096 4104 4111 4123 4143 4154 4155 4161 4181
3500bc - 2500bc	A trapezoidal cairn oriented N with a false portal, Chambers I and II opening respectively to west and east, a double rotunda linked with revetment walls of cairn on south, containing a large gallery (Chamber III) with single transept, and Chamber IV at the south end. The cairn was set on a natural base. Chamber I (inner) was paved with flat slabs and contained human skeletal material of 17 individuals, the bones mostly in groups frequently of the cranium, lower jaw and one or two long bones carefully placed against side stones or pushed into crevices. Also there were found two leaf shaped arrow heads, flaked and polished axes, a bone pin, and a few Neolithic A pottery fragments. Some Beaker fragments were high up in the fill. Chamber II was corbelled across the south west, and held a small quantity of human skeletal material but much Neolithic A pottery, six bowls being represented associated with finely comminuted charcoal. The floor was clay. Outside the entrance there were long bones suggesting remains of two articulated skeletons. A Neolithic A pot rim and a sandstone pendant were other finds. Chamber III is a true transeptal gallery oriented SE. A stony clay floor (probably introduced) on the red loam of the site. Bones were grouped as in Chamber I, very broken, of at least 9 persons. Potsherds of Neolithic A were found. In the passage a second layer over that just described contained long bones which were the remains of an articulated burial or burials of 2 individuals. Overall there were 33 individuals represented including 4 children. Some bones showed evidence of burning. The few animal bones were scattered: ox, sheep or goat, pig, dog, polecat and mole. The passage and Chamber I were practically full of stone debris including a few bone fragments and 2-3 tiny potsherds. One of these was a fragment of an A Beaker. Chamber II had less infilling.
2500bc-14/1300bc	Chamber IV contained the base of a Bronze Age cinerary urn in the angle between the north east orthostat and a small upright slab, a small broken bone object (probably the plate of a knife or dagger handle), a bone pin fragment, and scattered throughout the chamber were cremated bones. The structure of the chamber was seemingly contemporary with that of the whole cairn but was in a poor state of repair. A few fragments of an A Beaker were found high up amongst stone filling Chamber I, the upper layers being disturbed.
Remains/Period	Y5 Y4
County	Powys
Region	SW
National grid square	SO
X coordinate	182
Y coordinate	291
Bibliographic source	Grimes 1939a, 1960a, Lynch 1976