The burial chamber pillar at Bryn Celli Ddu, long described as dressed stone, is actually blue schist! Cardiff archaeologist Fion Reynolds and a geologist identified this rare metamorphic rock — it only forms in tectonic subduction zones, giving it a natural wood-grain texture. The Neolithic builders likely saw it as a magical stone-tree, deliberately placing it in the chamber. Those "axe-cut" notches? Probably natural features all along. What a brilliant recontextualisation of the site's purpose! 🪨🌿
Bryn Celli Ddu pillar identified as blue schist, not dressed stone
Key facts
- Bryn Celli Ddu is a passage grave containing a burial chamber with a freestanding stone pillar
- Literature described the pillar as a carefully dressed, shaped stone that was not structural to the roof
- On the filming visit, the presenters concluded the pillar resembled a fossil tree trunk rather than cut stone
- The pillar displayed notches that appeared to be axe-cut marks
- Cardiff University archaeologist Fion Reynolds and a geologist later identified the pillar as blue schist, a rare metamorphic rock
- Blue schist forms only in tectonic plate subduction zones, giving it a rolled, wood-grain-like appearance
- The prehistoric builders likely perceived the rock as a magical stone-tree, which recontextualises its purpose in the burial chamber
Sources
Bryn Celli Ddu Archaeology | NEOLITHIC WALES | Y NEOLITHIG ...bryncellidduarchaeology.wordpress.com
Bryn Celli Ddu Archaeology · The blueschist stone pillar inside Bryn Celli Ddu · Materials as media @ Bryn Celli Ddu · Decorated with bone: my favourite miniature ...
Bryn Celli Ddu Part of a Large Cemetery Complexlandscapeandmonumentality.wordpress.com
The incised marks on this pillar have been shown to to accurately track the Venus cycle (Lomas and Knight. Uriel's Machine. Century, 1999).
Bryn Celli Ddu, Anglesey (Sir Ynys Mon) - The Megalithic Portalmegalithic.co.uk
A pillar of stone stands at the centre of this monument, which has been the subject of debate for the last decade or so. This post argues that it is made from ...
The blueschist stone pillar inside Bryn Celli Ddubryncellidduarchaeology.wordpress.com
Blueschist is an unusual metamorphic rock that is produced by subduction of oceanic crust. The occurrence of this blueschist is rare. It is ...
Bryn Celli Ddu - Anglesey Historyanglesey-history.co.uk
More importantly, the stone that makes up the pillar is blueschist, a metamorphic rock formed at high temperature and pressure deep under the earth's surface.
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