Landford Common round barrows

Summary

Bell barrow and two bowl barrows 315m north west of Newlands Farm.

Reasons for Designation

Bell barrows, the most visually impressive form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating to the Early and Middle Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to the period 1500-1100 BC. They occur either in isolation or in round barrow cemeteries and were constructed as single or multiple mounds covering burials, often in pits, and surrounded by an enclosure ditch. The burials are frequently accompanied by weapons, personal ornaments and pottery and appear to be those of aristocratic individuals, usually men. Bell barrows (particularly multiple barrows) are rare nationally, with less than 250 known examples, most of which are in Wessex. Their richness in terms of grave goods provides evidence for chronological and cultural links amongst early prehistoric communities over most of southern and eastern England as well as providing an insight into their beliefs and social organisation. As a particularly rare form of round barrow, all identified bell barrows are important. Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, 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 partial early excavation or robbing the bell barrow and two bowl barrows 315m north west of Newlands 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.

History

See Details.

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 17 September 2015. 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, which falls into three areas, includes a bell barrow and two bowl barrows arranged in a roughly west to east linear alignment and situated on the summit of a low rise on Landford Common in a relatively low lying area between tributaries to the River Blackwater. The westernmost bell barrow survives as a circular mound of up to 18m in diameter and 1.8m high surrounded by a smoothed berm of up to 4m wide and 0.7m high with a quarry ditch of 3.9m wide and 0.3m deep and a slight outer bank of up to 3.9m wide and 0.3m high. The two bowl barrows to the centre and the east survive as circular mounds surrounded by quarry ditches from which the construction material was derived. The central mound is 8m in diameter and 0.5m high with a 2m wide and 0.3m deep ditch. The eastern mound is 10m in diameter and 0.5m high also with a 2m wide and 0.3m deep ditch. Both of these mounds have central excavation hollows.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

WI 430

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

Sources

Other
PastScape 222631, 222632 and 222637, Wiltshire HER SU21NE603, SU21NE602 and SU21NE601

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