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. There are over 10,000 surviving bowl
barrows recorded nationally (many more have already been destroyed), occurring
across most of lowland Britain. 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
and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of
protection.
Details
The monument is The Bullstones bowl barrow located on a gently sloping
hillside a little to the east of the summit of Brown Hill. It includes a low
flat earth and stone mound up to 0.25m high with maximum dimensions of 11.5m
by 10m. At the centre of the mound is an upstanding gritstone slab 1.3m long
by 1.1m high. The barrow is surrounded on all sides except the east by a
kerbing of irregularly spaced small water-worn and erratic boulders. Limited
antiquarian investigation located the cremated remains of a child or young
person buried approximately 0.9m below the ground surface and beneath an
inverted urn. Amongst the ashes was a calcined flint knife and a flint
arrowhead. The excavator also recorded a short corridor of stones leading to a
break in the kerbing which he interpreted as an entrance. From the outer
extremities of this entrance, on either side, lines of stones curved outwards
and backwards to the mound, forming a pair of quadrants of sufficient
dimensions to accommodate four or five people standing upright.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
22584
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
