Last November/December Archenfield Archaeology, together with Archaeophysica Ltd,  undertook an upland survey project in Snowdonia National Park for the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHM).  The first area to be surveyed, and for which the fieldwork has been completed, lies close to the coast near Tywyn. Altitude ranged from 633m OD at the highest point of Tarrenhendre, down to 100m OD in the south of the area (close to Cwrt). Within this area there had previously been just 23 archaeological sites recorded on the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust’s Sites and Monuments Record database.

A pollisoir stone for the manufacture of Neolithic polished stone axes found during the project

Despite the weather being far less than perfect at times, the survey discovered many new sites.  One of the most important of these was a prehistoric cairn situated on the summit of Mynydd Esgairweddan. This was surrounded by kerbing of white quartz blocks and had a probable stone-lined cist at its centre. Another site, on the northern slopes of Mynydd Tan-y-Coed, was a prehistoric cairn which had been built to include a very large stone. This stone had numerous incised lines and a small depression which may well represent the marks left from the manufacture of polished stones axes in the Late Neolithic.