Reasons for Designation
Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as stone mounds covering single or multiple burials. These burials may be placed within the mound in stone-lined compartments called cists. In some cases the cairn was surrounded by a ditch. Often occupying prominent locations, cairns are a major visual element in the modern landscape. They are a relatively common feature of the uplands and are the stone equivalent of the earthen round barrows of the lowlands. Their considerable variation in form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period. Despite some surface quarrying and stone dumping, the round cairn 180m north of Trevarthian 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.
Details
The monument includes a round cairn, situated on a prominent coastal ridge, overlooking Glebe Cliff and Dunderhole Point. The cairn survives as a circular stony mound measuring up to 15m in diameter and 1.2m high with a natural rock outcrop protruding from the mound on one side. Other large stones possibly indicate an outer kerb. The mound has also been used as a clearance cairn for the surrounding field.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
CO 506
Legacy System:
RSM - OCN
End of official list entry
