The Maen Madoc or Maen Madog stone is a

menhir A menhir (from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large human-made upright stone, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age. They can be found ...

which lies adjacent to the Roman road

Sarn Helen Sarn Helen refers to several stretches of Roman road in Wales. The route, which follows a meandering course through central Wales, connects Aberconwy in the north with Carmarthen in the west. Despite its length, academic debate continues as t ...

that runs across the Brecon Beacons in what was a key area of

Roman Wales The Roman era in the area of modern Wales began in 48 AD, with a military invasion by the imperial governor of Roman Britain. The conquest was completed by 78 AD, and Roman rule endured until the region was abandoned in 383 AD. The Roman Emp ...

, about one mile (2 km) north of

Ystradfellte Ystradfellte is a village and community in Powys, Wales, about north of Hirwaun, with 556 inhabitants. It belongs to the historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire) and the Fforest Fawr area of the Brecon Beacons National Park, beside the A ...

. It stands approximately 10 feet high. It is thought to have marked a late Roman - post-Roman Christian burial – the stone is inscribed on one side, the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

inscription reading DERVAC(IVS) FILIVS IVSTI (H)IC IACIT – "Of Dervacus, Son of Justus. He lies here". Though the stone is named after a Madoc, nothing is known of the Madoc referred to. The base of stone is surrounded by deeply embedded stones. The stone was first recorded in 1805 as recumbent, re-erected in the 19th century, and was excavated and re-erected in 1940. Excavations undertaken at the time showed that the stone had previously been sited at the edge of the Roman road, with no grave associated. Maen Madoc can be found at on the Brecon Beacons West and Central map. It has been recorded by the

Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW; cy, Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru; ), established in 1908, is a Welsh Government sponsored body concerned with some aspects of the archaeological, architectur ...

(NPRN 84540), Early Christian Monuments in Wales ECM 8, and

Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust (CPAT) ( cy, Ymddiriedolaeth Archeolegol Clwyd-Powys (YACP)) is an educational charity which was established in 1975. Its objective is ‘to advance the education of the public in archaeology’. CPAT is one of ...

Historic Environment Record Primary Record Number 825. It is designated as a

Scheduled Ancient Monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

References

External links

Photos of Maen Madoc and surrounding area on geograph
Megalithic monuments in Wales Fforest Fawr Scheduled monuments in Powys Archaeological sites in the Brecon Beacons National Park Menhirs {{Powys-geo-stub