Casgliadau Arlein

The upper right-hand corner of the block is missing. The stone has suffered very badly from weathering, especially the top of the head of which little remains. Most of the nose has been broken off. A roughly squared rectangular block with a head carved in low relief on one side. The face, outlined by a deep groove, is rather squat and has full, rounded cheeks. It has protruding, staring eyes, heavy brows, a triangular nose, and a small mouth with slightly pursed lips. A groove above the brows appears to furrow the forehead, and there is a suggestion of long locks of hair to either side of the face. Probably used as a building stone, and would have served a similar purpose to the Caerleon antefixa, as an apotropaic device. A date in the late first or second century can be suggested.