Bryn Celli Ddu is a prehistoric site on the Welsh island of Anglesey. Its name is difficult to translate directly but means either 'the mound in the dark grove' or possibly 'the mound in the grove of the deity'. It was plundered in 1699 and archaeologically excavated between 1928 and 1929.
During the Neolithic a stone circle and henge stood at the site. A area of burning containing a small human bone from the ear, covered with a flat stone, was recovered from this period.
The stones were removed in the early Bronze Age when an archetypal passage grave was built over the top of the centre of the henge. A carved stone with a twisting, serpentine design stood in the burial chamber. It has since been moved to the National Museum of Wales and replaced with a replica standing outside. An earth barrow covering the grave is a twentieth century restoration; the original was probably much bigger.
External link
Pictures and description of Bryn Celli Ddu (http://www.anima.demon.co.uk/sites/sh505703.html)
It seems there must be a dark tale of conflicting ideas back in the past of BrynCelliDdu, with the adherents of the old traditions destroying and then burying a monument that symbolised the introduction of new beliefs.
The original Henge at BrynCelliDdu was not a large example of it’s kind, it’s central area had a diameter of about 20m, and this was surrounded by a 2m deep flat-bottomed ditch that was about 5m wide.
BrynCelliDdu is crammed with unusual features, and is a very pleasant monument to visit, especially for the megalithic fan that knows a little about its turbulent past.
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