As the Neolithic period drew to a close, a new people we call the Beaker Folk settled across Wales. Not only did life change with the introduction of bronze, but so did the way people buried their dead. Bronze Age burials in Wales made the shift from chambered tombs (cromlechs) to round barrows.
Call us biased if you wish, but we have to say that Wales, or Cymru (the Welsh name for Wales which translates as “compatriots” or “fellow countrymen”), is one of the most mystical, historic, and beautiful countries on the face of our planet.
What we, and indeed many others, really love about Wales is its historic roots. Without question, the Bronze Age is one of the most fascinating periods of time in Welsh history. Today, Wales is home to all manner of historical tourist attractions and stunning locations molded by this particular period in history. The Bronze Age in Europe literally helped shape the land as we know it today. Still, a great deal of Beaker history in Wales during the Bronze Age is shrouded in mystery, particularly regarding the reasons for burying their dead the way they did.
Bronze Age burials, for example, are believed to have helped influence the way we bury or cremate our dead today. Because of this, scattered throughout the lush green landscapes of Cymru, you’ll find all sorts of Bronze Age burial sites that you can still visit.
This post is all about Bronze Age burials in Wales.
Bronze Age Burials
Whether you’re a history buff or simply want to learn a little more about the Bronze Age in Europe, here’s a look at Bronze Age burials in Wales and a few other interesting facts.
The Bronze Age Brings Many Changes
Before we take a look at some of the fascinating Bronze Age burials in Wales for you to explore, we’re first going to travel back in time a few thousand years to learn how this period helped shape Cymru as we know it today.
First of all, what was the Bronze Age? The Bronze Age was a time believed to have begun in Wales around 2,400 BC and lasted until about 800 BC. During this period, human settlers in Wales constructed tools, implements, and weapons from a copper alloy metal called “bronze”—hence the name. The Beaker People inhabited Wales during this period. Historians have called them by that term due to the bell-shaped pottery they made.
While passage graves and chambered tombs were favored in the Neolithic period, round barrows became the preferred style of interment during the Bronze Age. A number of significant Bronze Age sites are located around Wales, particularly within the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.
Not Much is Known of How People Dressed
Because the Bronze Age took place so long ago and many artifacts have degraded, we know only a little about certain aspects of this period.
As you’re probably aware, the weather in Wales is, shall we say, temperamental at best. It is often cool, wet, and windy, though we believe it to have been warmer once upon a time (more on that later). Because of the poor weather, it would have been essential for people to dress accordingly.
So, what did Bronze Age clothing look like? Well, we know that people likely wore cloaks, loincloths, wraps, hats, and primitive forms of leggings and woolens not dissimilar to kilts.
We believe that Bronze Age women in Wales wore short tunics and long skirts made from wool. The men likely also wore tunics, cloaks, and knee-length wraps.
Cymru Was Likely Warmer During the Bronze Age (For a While)
Though we can’t say for certain, evidence points to the idea that much of the climate of Wales was likely warmer than it is today. Not only was it warmer, but it was probably also drier. That’s a far cry from the changeable Welsh weather we know and love today.
From 1,250 BC or so, the climate changed and became a great deal more, well, Welsh. Average summer temperatures took a dip, and by 1,000 BC, you could really feel the influence of the Atlantic on Welsh weather as rainfall increased and it became windier.
With this increase in rainfall, much of the landscape became boggy, and peat formations increased. This change is thought to have resulted in many settlements being abandoned, with people instead choosing higher locations where they were less likely to be flooded out.
The change in climate may have also been responsible for an increased amount of conflict around Wales. If you’ve ever had to cancel an outdoor cookout because of the rain, you’ll know how annoying this can be. Therefore, it’s not unreasonable to assume that colder, wetter weather likely contributed to increased squabbles during the Bronze Age, though these fights were likely not over a canceled barbeque.
How Did the Beaker Folk Bury Their Dead?
Scattered across Wales, you’ll find many burial sites dating back to different periods in time and history. For example, the Iron Age burials of the Celts often included various funerary styles depending on the region. These methods included burning the deceased on a pyre, water “burials” in rivers, and interment in burial mounds. The Beaker Folk seemed to be more consistent by using barrows and cairns. The Bronze Age burials of the Beaker People must have almost certainly influenced later settlers (the Celts) when they came to the British Isles.
Stone Circles and Standing Stones
Both stone circles and standing stones are iconic attractions in Wales and consistently draw large numbers of tourists. Sightseers from all over the globe flock in droves to marvel at their natural beauty. Despite this, such sites remain mysterious as historians are still determining what they were for and how they worked.
Some stone circles or standing stone sites in Wales are associated with burials—and some excavated sites have proven that they were. However, archeologists believe this wasn’t always their primary function. Some believe that these stones served as markers. If this is the case, it could be that they served as meeting areas, places of worship, or memorials rather than tombs or graves used to house the dead.
Burial Mounds: Round Barrows
Round barrows, however, are believed to be the primary sites where prehistoric peoples, such as the Beaker Folk in ancient Wales, would bury their dead during the Bronze Age.
Round barrows are also known as “cairns” in Scotland and Ireland, though the names are not always interchangeable. They are essentially Bronze Age burial sites that took on the form of small mounds. They would then sometimes be covered with a heap of stones, also known as “cairns.” The Welsh word for a pile of stones is “carn.”
The name “barrow” is derived from the Old English word “beorg,” which itself had Germanic origins as it was related to the word “berg,” which meant “hill” or “mountain.”
There are a number of Bronze Age round barrows sites located across Wales. Round barrows in the Bronze Age focused on the deceased as an individual, much like graves do today. The dead were either buried directly or sometimes cremated inside inverted pots. The pots were then put into pits lined with stones, called cists, dug into the ground. The cists were then covered with large mounds of soil, stones, or a combination of both. Finally, to contain the mound, people placed stones around the edge, or sometimes they dug a ditch around the perimeter.
Grave Goods
In some instances, presumably for people of importance, wealth, or status, goods were buried with them. Items might be such things as jewelry, clothing, pottery, food and drink, and sometimes weapons. One of the most significant examples of this was the discovery of the Mold Gold Cape. It was found in a tomb in Bryn yr Ellyllion. Analysis showed that metalsmiths constructed the cape from a gold ingot. An ingot is a large block of metal—in this case, gold.
Some historians believe that because people buried in round barrows were sometimes laid to rest with tools, weapons, Bronze Age shields, and other artifacts, round barrows may only have been used to bury wealthy people or members of the community who held a high rank or status.
Bronze Age Burial Sites in Wales
Before we wrap things up and leave you to plan your next trip to Wales, here are some sites of Bronze Age burials you simply must visit.
Bryn yr Ellyllion
Located near Flintshire in North Wales, this is one of the most famous Bronze Age burial sites in the country.
The name, which translates to “The Hill of the Goblins” (How cool is that?), is not only in a stunning location. It’s also home to the Mold Gold Cape, which we spoke of earlier. This burial site is believed to date back roughly 4,000 years to 1,900 – 1,600 BC.
Beacon Hill Round Barrows
This burial site is located in Powys in South Wales. Its builders constructed it between 2,300 and 800 BC. We believe it houses four barrows.
Maen Llia Standing Stone
Situated in the stunning Brecon Beacons National Park, also in Powys, you’ll find Maen Llia Standing Stone.
We can’t say for certain that this is, in fact, a Bronze Age burial site. This is because we don’t know what lies beneath it. Considering that standing stones were often associated with burials, though, there is a strong likelihood that it is. Either way, it’ll make an amazing day out filled with otherworldly energy and fantastic views!
This post was all about Bronze Age burials in Wales.
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