Pillar of Eliseg, Stone cross and archaeological site in Llantysilio, Wales.
The Pillar of Eliseg is a stone cross fragment mounted on a prehistoric burial mound located near Valle Crucis Abbey in Denbighshire. The monument combines a burial site from ancient times with an early medieval cross shaft, layering together remains from different periods.
The monument was built in the 9th century by Concenn to honor his great-grandfather Eliseg and the victories of the Kingdom of Powys. This period saw rulers asserting their authority through carved monuments and written records.
The Latin inscription records family lineages and territorial claims from pre-Viking Wales in one of the longest surviving texts of that era. This carved record allows visitors to see how people documented power and ancestry in the early Middle Ages.
The site is reachable through paths near Valle Crucis Abbey, with information boards available for orientation. The area is easier to explore during dry weather, which helps reveal the carved details on the stone surface.
The monument merges a prehistoric burial with a medieval Christian cross, showing how older sacred sites were incorporated into new religious systems. This layering of ages is visible in how the structure was built and reveals shifting beliefs over time.
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