Two bowl barrows 300m NNW of Red Post

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 some reduction in their heights through cultivation, the two bowl barrows 300m NNW of Red Post survive well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to their construction, longevity, relative chronologies, territorial significance, social organisation, funerary and ritual practices and overall landscape context.

Details

The monument, which falls into two areas of protection, includes two bowl barrows, situated on a prominent ridge which forms the watershed between tributaries to the Rivers Neet and Tamar. The bowl barrows survive as circular mounds with their surrounding quarry ditches, from which the mound construction material was derived, being preserved as buried features. The northern mound measures approximately 24m in diameter and up to 1m high. The southern mound measures 28m in diameter and 1.3m high. Following ploughing in the 1980's circular clay soil marks became briefly visible on the barrows.

A further similar monument to the south west is the subject of a separate scheduling.

Sources: HER:- PastScape Monument No:-31841

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

CO 464

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

End of official list entry

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