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.
Although these six barrows 300m north east of High Wold Farm have been altered
by agricultural activity they will retain significant information on their
original form and the burials placed within them. They will also contribute
to an understanding of the wider group of which they are members.
Details
The monument includes six Bronze Age bowl barrows, members of a wider group of
similar monuments in this area of the Yorkshire Wolds. The most northerly
barrow in the group has a mound 1m high and 40m in diameter. Immediately to
the south east is a mound 0.5m high and 25m in diameter. Two further barrows
lie immediately to the south of these. Although the mounds of these two
barrows have been levelled by agricultural activity, the encircling ditches,
excavated during the construction of the mounds, are clearly visible on
aerial photographs. Each ditch survives as an infilled feature 4m wide and
25m in diameter. Two further barrows, which are orientated north-south, lie to
the south of those barrows described above. The more northerly of the pair has
a mound 1m high and 32m in diameter. The mound of the southernmost barrow in
the group is 1.25m high and 32m in diameter. Although no longer visible at
ground level, ditches, from which material was excavated during the
construction of the monument, surround each of the barrow mounds. These have
become infilled over the the years but survive as buried features 4m wide.
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.
