United Kingdom

St Lythans burial chamber

Neolithic dolmen tomb in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales

Location

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Historical Context

About

The St Lythans burial chamber (Welsh: Siambr Gladdu Llwyneliddon) is a single stone megalithic dolmen, built around 4,000 BC as part of a chambered long barrow, during the mid Neolithic period, in what is now known as the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It lies about half a mile (1 km) to the west of the hamlet of St Lythans, near Dyffryn Gardens. It also lies around one mile (1.6 km) south of Tinkinswood burial chamber, a more extensive cromlech that it may once have resembled, constructed during the same period. The site is on pasture land, but pedestrian access is allowed and is free, with roadside parking available for 2–3 cars about 50 yards (50 metres) from the site. The dolmen, which has never been fully excavated, is maintained by Cadw, the Welsh Historic Environment Agency.

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
Temporal Epochs

Historical Timeline

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Minor excavation by W. C. Lukis

1875

Dyffryn Estate lease to Glamorgan County Council

1939

Conservation of eroded barrow

1992–1993

Construction of chambered tomb

c. 4000 BC

Classification

Archaeological Features

Unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

category

Burial and Funerary Structures

DolmensBurial Mounds
category

Environmental and Natural Features

Artificial Mounds
Knowledge Base

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Reference

Details

Country

United Kingdom

Coordinates

51.44° N, -3.29° E