Police are investigating after a prehistoric burial mound on Mynydd Hiraethog was damaged by a vehicle.

The incident happened at the protected Bronze Age monument near Tan y Foel, alongside the Llansannan to Rhyd-y-Bedd minor road.

The burial mound, known as a round barrow, dates back around 4,000 years to the Bronze Age. Such sites were built as places to bury or commemorate important members of prehistoric communities and often occupy prominent hilltop locations. Many remain visible today as raised earth mounds and provide valuable clues about how people lived, worshipped and honoured their dead thousands of years ago.

The monument is legally protected under the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023, making it a criminal offence to damage or interfere with the site without permission.

North Wales Police and Cadw have now launched a joint investigation after a vehicle was driven across the ancient monument.

PC Dave Allen said: “The team, alongside Cadw, work to protect these monuments for present and future generations.

“Not only is the monument of national importance to the archaeological community, but it is part of our heritage and should be respected.

“We are keen to trace the owners of any vehicles witnessed upon the monument and I am appealing to anybody with information to get in touch.”

Mynydd Hiraethog is one of North Wales’ richest landscapes for prehistoric archaeology, with numerous burial cairns, standing stones and ancient trackways scattered across the uplands. These monuments help archaeologists understand how communities lived in the region thousands of years before written history.

Anyone with information is asked to contact North Wales Police on 101 or via the force’s website, quoting reference 26000484800. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.