Round barrow on Knight's Hill

Summary

Bowl barrow 250m south-west of Marlpits Farm.

Reasons for Designation

Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to the period 2400-1500 BC. They were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as cemeteries and often acted as a focus for burials in later periods. Often superficially similar, although differing widely in size, they exhibit regional variations in form and a diversity of burial practices. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable variation of form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisations amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period. Despite early partial excavation, the bowl barrow 250m south west of Marlpits Farm survives well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, longevity, territorial significance, social organisation, funerary and ritual practices and overall landscape context.

History

See Details.

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 18 January 2016. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

This monument includes a bowl barrow situated on the summit of a very prominent and steeply sloping ridge known as Knight’s Hill overlooking the valley of a tributary to the Mangerton River. The barrow survives as a circular mound measuring up to 21m in diameter and 1.6m high surrounded by a buried quarry ditch from which the construction material was derived. There is a large central early excavation hollow in the summit of the mound.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

DO 431

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

Sources

Other
PastScape Monument No:-449882

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