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 reduction in the heights of the mounds through cultivation, the three bowl barrows 130m east of Starapark Farm survive comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to their construction, relative chronologies, territorial significance, social organisation, ritual and funerary practices and overall landscape context.
Details
The monument, which falls into three areas of protection, includes three bowl barrows, situated on a wide ridge forming the watershed between several tributaries of the River Camel. The barrows survive as circular mounds surrounded by buried quarry ditches, from which their construction material was derived. The northern mound stands up to 26m in diameter and 0.5m high. The central mound measures approximately 16m in diameter and 0.4m high, and is overlain by a field bank on its northern periphery. This bank is excluded from the scheduling but the ground beneath is included. The western mound is up to 32m in diameter and 0.6m high with a faint trace of the exterior ditch visible to the north.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
CO 481
Legacy System:
RSM - OCN
End of official list entry
