Standing stone 340m south of Trye Farm

Reasons for Designation

Standing stones are prehistoric ritual or ceremonial monuments with dates ranging from the Late Neolithic to the end of the Bronze Age for the few excavated examples. They comprise single or paired upright orthostatic slabs, ranging from under lm to over 6m high where still erect. They are often conspicuously sited and close to other contemporary monument classes. They can be accompanied by various features: many occur in or on the edge of round barrows, and where excavated, associated subsurface features have included stone cists, stone settings, and various pits and hollows filled in with earth containing human bone, cremations, charcoal, flints, pots and pot sherds. Similar deposits have been found in excavated sockets for standing stones, which range considerably in depth. Several standing stones also bear cup and ring marks. Standing stones may have functioned as markers for routeways, territories, graves, or meeting points, but their accompanying features show they also bore a ritual function and that they form one of several ritual monument classes of their period that often contain a deposit of cremation and domestic debris as an integral component. No national survey of standing stones has been undertaken, and estimates range from 50 to 250 extant examples, widely distributed throughout England but with concentrations in Cornwall, the North Yorkshire Moors, Cumbria, Derbyshire and the Cotswolds. Standing stones are important as nationally rare monuments, with a high longevity and demonstrating the diversity of ritual practices in the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age. The standing stone 340m south of Trye Farm, where excavated evidence has shown a monolith stood beside a cist and beaker burial, is unique in Cornwall and is extremely rare. Although much is already known, further archaeological and environmental evidence relating to these features, their relationships and overall landscape context will be retained.

Details

The monument includes a standing stone, situated on the western-facing slopes of a ridge, overlooking the valley of the Trevaylor Stream. The standing stone survives as an upright earthfast monolith of triangular section measuring 0.6m wide and thick at the base, tapering upwards and standing to 2.5m high. Partial excavations in 1958 and 1962 revealed a cairn of stones approximately 0.9m to the east of the standing stone which in turn covered two capstones. One capstone covered a stone cist. The cist contained a complete handled beaker on its side. Fragments of cremated bone were found within the cist fill and two unburnt long bones were found at its base. Bronze Age pottery was identified amongst the cist and cairn material along with a saddle quern. The second capstone overlay a small pit to the south west of the cist which contained further pottery sherds interpreted as having contained food stuffs as a ritual offering. Sherds and flints found scattered in the surrounding soil suggested either secondary burials had been placed within the cist which were later disturbed or the possibility of the cist having been emptied out and subsequently re-used. The socket hole for the standing stone had been disturbed by the later burial of a horse. The standing stone was erected first with the cairn and cist subsequent additions. Prior to excavation, none of these features were visible on the surface. The standing stone is known locally as 'Try Menhir' or 'Try Standing Stone'.

Sources: HER:- PastScape Monument No:-424033

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

CO 656

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

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