Reasons for Designation
Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise
closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds
covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a
considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as
a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit
considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including
several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier
long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them,
contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been
revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a
marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other
important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent
locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst
their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important
information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early
prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period
and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection.
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, occur either in
isolation or grouped in cemeteries across most of lowland Britain. There are
over 10,000 surviving bowl barrows recorded nationally (many more have already
been destroyed).
The pair of bowl barrows at Sullington Warren survive well, despite some
disturbance by tree roots and part excavation has shown the cemetery of which
they form a part to contain archaeological remains and environmental
evidence relating to the ways in which it was constructed and used.
Details
The monument includes the two south westernmost bowl barrows of a group of ten
situated along two parallel, NNW-SSE aligned Greensand ridges in the lee of
the Sussex Downs. The cemetery is formed by two linear groups of barrows, one
running along each ridge. The monument lies at the SSE end of the western
group, which consists of four barrows. The largest barrow of the pair lies to
the south east and has a roughly circular mound 29m in diameter and c.2m high,
with an uneven top indicating past part excavation. The mound is surrounded
by a ditch from which material used to construct the barrow was excavated.
This has become infilled over the years but will survive as a buried feature
c.3m wide.
Lying c.10m to the north west, the second barrow has a mound c.9m in diameter
and c.0.3m high surrounded by an infilled quarry ditch c.1m wide. The cemetery
was partly excavated in 1809, when cinerary urns and burnt human bones were
found.
The modern fence which crosses the monument is excluded from the scheduling,
although the ground beneath it is included.
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.
