October 22, 1908] 



NATURE 



63: 



SOME CROMLECHS IN NORTH WALES. 



I. 



T N a recent number of Nati'RE the Rev. J. Griffith, 

 •'■ the actnig secretary of the Society for the Astro- 

 tiomical Study of Ancient Stone Monuments in Wales, 

 ijave the detailed resuhs of some recent measurements 

 of cromlechs in Anglesey and Carnarvonshire. 



-The May-yeiir Cronl!el.ll^ al 1 1 la Xc.vydd 



I propose in the present article to refer to some 

 general questions in relation to them. 



In the first place, I may point out that it is not a 

 little remarkable that all the cromlechs, which were 

 taken at random — ease of getting at them being the 

 only principle of selection adopted — fell into line; by 

 which I mean that all 

 the directions indicated 

 were the same as those 

 which had already been 

 made out in Cornwall. 

 With regard to the solar 

 alignments, indications 

 were found of observ- 

 ations of the May-year 

 sun (dec. i6° 20' N. and 

 S.), of both solstices and 

 of the equino.x. I have 

 already given curves 

 (ante, p. 572) which 

 show how closely the 

 measures fit the com- 

 puted azimuths in the 

 latitude of Anglesev 

 (53° N.), when the 

 heights of the horizon 

 are taken into account. 

 Two things, however, 

 have to be stated : First 

 the observations were 

 made with a clino-com- 

 pass only, and many of 

 them in a high wind 

 and snowstorm, which 

 very uncertain. The next point is one of more 

 general interest. In Cornwall and elsewhere 

 evidence is rapidly accumulating that the solstitial 

 alignments were not made so frequently on the actual 



NO. 2034, VOL. 78] 



place of sunrise as on a point somewhere about a 

 degree south of it for the summer solstice, and north 

 of it for the winter solstice, so that warning of the 

 coming event could be given, and a careful watch 

 kept. It will be seen that the majoritv of the align- 

 ments now in question fulfil these conditions. If we 

 assume that the cromlechs were erected about 

 1000 B.C., the sun's declination then was N. 23° 50', 



according to Stockwell. 

 The only exception is at 

 Presaddfed, at which 

 cromlech only an estimate 

 of the azimuth was pos- 

 sible, as there were no 

 surfaces to measure. 



One interesting point 

 connected with this prac- 

 tice of warning is that it 

 explains the azimuth of 

 the Friar's Heel at Stone- 

 henge in relation to the 

 avenue. 



Mr. Thomas recentlv 

 found that the practice 

 was adopted in regard to 

 three or more alignments 

 connected with the Tre- 

 gaseal circle in Cornwall. 

 The most massive crom- 

 lechs with large quoits 

 supported b)' tremendous 

 upright stones are con- 

 nected with the May 

 year ; first among these 

 come the double cromlech 

 at Plas Newydd ; and 

 reasoning from what one has seen in Cornwall and 

 South Wales of the different methods of building, 

 they are the most ancient structures I have observed 

 in North Wales. On the other hand, the equinoctial 

 cromlechs, supported by horizontal layers or small 

 stones, are the newest. 



Fig. 2. — The Equinoctial (? late) Cromlech at Lligwy. 



JVu'i,'. /_)' Lady Lo^kycr, 



made the measures 



Between these two sets come the solstitial crom- 

 lechs. Of them I give three illustrations showing 

 greatly varying types. Of them all Byrn Celli Ddu 

 is the most interesting, as there is a long aWee 

 couverte or creep-way, which is exceptional in Britain, 



