Pentre Ifan Burial Chamber - Nevern, Pembrokeshire, Wales. - Megalithic Monuments on Waymarking.com

Pentre Ifan - A Burial Chamber or a Neolithic Artwork?

Looking at the Pentre Ifan structure, & the very fine points that the capstone rests on & the flat underside of the so called capstone. Also the fact that there were no bones found in or nearby. I prefer the alternative theory that it is in fact a monument, A still seen today as it was meant to be seen in Neolithic Times, dating from at least 4000 B.C.

"The dolmen dates from approximately 3,500 B.C. and has traditionally been identified as a communal burial. Under this theory the existing stones formed the portal and main chamber of the tomb, which would originally have been covered by a large mound of stones about 30 metres (98 ft) long and 17 m wide. Some of the kerbstones, marking the edge of the mound have been identified during excavations. The stone chamber was at the southern end of the long mound, which stretched off to the north. Very little of the material that formed the mound remains. Some of the stones have been scattered, but at least seven are in their original position. An elaborate entrance facade surrounding the portal, which may have been a later addition,[5] was built with carefully constructed dry stone walling. Individual burials are thought to have been made within the stone chamber, which would be re-used many times. No trace of bones were found in the tomb, raising the possibility that they were subsequently transferred elsewhere.

Alternative theory:
A major study by Cummings and Richards in 2014 has produced a different explanation for the monument. They identify several distinctive attributes shared by the class of monument known as dolmens, all of which are particularly well exemplified at Pentre Ifan.

Firstly such monuments typically have a large capstone derived from a glacial erratic - far bigger than is required or sensible if the aim was to roof a chamber. Furthermore, the capstone has a flat underside. Sometimes, as here, this has been arrived at by splitting the rock, other times, as at Garn Turne, some 12 km to the south-west, it has been laboriously 'pecked' off using stone tools. The capstone is supported on the tapering tips of slender uprights. As at Pentre Ifan, there are often other stones within the group, but they play no part in holding up the capstone, and the resulting effect of the enormous stone appearing to float above the other stones would seem to be deliberate and desired. If these are the key elements of the monument then, it is argued, the stones were never designed to be buried within a mound, and they never formed a chamber to contain bones. What we see today is the monument as it was intended to be seen. It might therefore represent a more elaborate version of a standing stone. Its purpose could be simply to demonstrate the status and skill of the builders, or to add significance and gravitas to an already significant place." Text Source: (visit link)

Tourist & Historic Info - (visit link)
& (visit link)

Type: Dolmen Parking: N 51° 59.942 W 004° 46.067 Number: 7.00 Size: The elegant capstone weighs over 16 tons; it is 5m (16ft 6in) long and 2.4m (8ft) off the ground. Source: The stones of the chamber are all of local igneous rock; on the portal stone there is a faint decorative cupmark. Purpose: Pentre Ifan - Burial Chamber or Monument, or are both theory's 'Away with the Fairies' that are often seen dancing around the stones.

Visit Instructions:

Pictures welcome if they are different from the original, and additions to the information are most welcome. Your impressions of the monument are more important, please share your thoughts on the place, and most of all enjoy the Waymark.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   09/06/2016 veritas vita visited it 05/22/2016 McGreifer visited it

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