Yearn's Low bowl barrow

Overview

Location

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.

Despite limited 19th and 20th century excavation of the monument's centre and a small area to the north, Yearn's Low bowl barrow survives reasonably well. The site is a rare example in Cheshire of a bowl barrow displaying re-use during the Roman period. Further evidence of interments and grave goods will exist within the mound and upon the old landsurface beneath.

Details

The monument is Yearn's Low bowl barrow. It is located in a slight col on a ridge, with higher ground to the east and west, and includes a mound of earth and stones 19m in diameter and up to 1.5m high. Nineteenth century investigation of the barrow's centre has left a hollow 0.8m deep; to the north of this is a trench 0.5m deep resulting from a small excavation undertaken during the 1970's. The antiquarian investigation located Roman coins, glass beads and some bones. No finds are recorded from the more recent excavation which was abandoned shortly after it began due to a change in the monument's ownership. Two drystone walls which cross the barrow and meet south-east of its summit are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

22567

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Barnatt, J, The Peak District Barrow Survey (1989), (1989)
Sainter, J D, Scientific Rambles Around Macclesfield, (1878), 16
Other
Darvill,T., MPP Single Monument Class Description - Bowl Barrows, (1988)

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 Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.