One of Western Europe’s most remarkable collections of prehistoric Neolithic burial chambers sits scattered across 250 sites nestled within the valleys, hills, and open fields of Wales, according to an exploration of these structures by Professor of Archaeology at the University of Coimbra and research fellow at Liverpool University George Nash. These ancient structures, dating from 4,000 to 2,000 BCE, are enduring testaments to early human culture and belief systems. However, experts estimate these 250 examples represent only a third of the sites that once existed.
Prof Nash explores in his book “The Neolithic Tombs of Wales” the transition from hunter-gatherer societies to farming communities, marking a pivotal shift in human history that fostered more permanent settlements and rituals that celebrated the deceased. He highlights the profound changes in burial practices over the 2,000-year span of the Neolithic period, from natural caves to constructed stone tombs and earthen mounds, and from simple burial to cremation and excarnation, where the process of exposing bodies to the elements occurs until only bones remain.
The practice of ritual burial is believed to have originated among early Neolithic groups in the “Fertile Crescent,” a region encompassing parts of modern-day Turkey, Israel, Syria, and Lebanon, before gradually spreading westward across 600 years. Along with burial traditions came tools, pottery, and jewelry intended to accompany the dead into the afterlife. The majority of Welsh burial sites are located near the coast, which Prof Nash attributes to the strategic advantages offered by proximity to the sea, allowing Neolithic communities to sustain themselves with fishing and marine resources, crucial supplements in case of crop failure or livestock loss.
The availability of stone in coastal regions further contributed to the preservation of these monuments. That stands in contrast to other parts of Britain and Europe where road-building and field-clearance during the 18th and 19th centuries caused widespread destruction of these monuments. DNA evidence suggests that the earliest monuments, such as portal dolmens or cromlechs in Welsh, were reserved for society’s elite. Over time, larger communal tombs emerged reflecting a shift toward burying extended family groups or community members. Wales offers a unique lens into the Neolithic world, providing insights into the lives and beliefs of its first farmers, according to Prof Nash
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