Reasons for Designation
Kerbed cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as stone mounds defined by an outer kerb of upright stones or walling 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, kerbed 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 disturbance through cultivation and the partial early excavation, the kerbed cairn survives comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, longevity funerary practices and overall landscape context.
Details
The monument includes a kerbed cairn with cists, situated on a prominent ridge called Trevedra Common overlooking Whitesand Bay. The kerbed cairn survives as a circular stony mound measuring up to 7m in diameter and 0.7m high. It contains a stone built cist with 1.4m long and 1.3m wide coverstone. The kerbed cairn was excavated by WC Borlase who found two cists of different sizes complete and filled with soil; the outer retaining kerb had largely been removed for nearby hedging. The larger cist produced a Bronze Age urn, cremated human bone and evidence of ashes from a peat fire.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
CO 102
Legacy System:
RSM - OCN
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