Tinkinswood Chambered Tomb
St Nicholas, South Glamorgan, United Kingdom
A Vale of Glamorgan communal tomb with an exceptionally large capstone. Excavation recovered many human remains and artefacts, while later folklore warned of extraordinary consequences for spending certain nights there.
History
Tinkinswood is a Neolithic communal burial monument in the Vale of Glamorgan. Its chamber is covered by an enormous capstone measuring roughly seven metres by four and a half metres and estimated to weigh around forty tonnes. Moving and raising such a stone demonstrates the coordinated effort involved in creating an enduring place for the dead. Excavations recovered the remains of more than fifty people, together with pottery fragments and flint objects, identifying collective burial rather than the grave of a named individual. The site subsequently acquired legends quite separate from its prehistoric use. One tradition claimed that staying overnight on particular festival eves could bring death, madness or poetic inspiration. Such accounts belong to documented folklore, not established events. The archaeological evidence concerns the tomb’s structure, its burial deposits and the objects placed there; the precise ceremonies and beliefs of its builders remain uncertain.
Period: Neolithic
Grid reference: ST0921073300
Protection:
Source: Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (Coflein), https://coflein.gov.uk/en/site/94510 (Open Government Licence). This site data is from the National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW), produced by RCAHMW. © Crown Database Right: RCAHMW, licensed under the Open Government Licence 3.0.
Banner photo: "Tinkinswood East" by FruitMonkey, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.