Reasons for Designation
Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age
(c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as stone mounds 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, 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 and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered
worthy of protection.
Details
The monument is Little Meg round cairn. It is located on flat land and
includes a turf-covered mound of stones and earth up to 0.3m high with maximum
dimensions of 9.5m by 8m. Around the edge of the mound are ten closely spaced
earthfast granite boulders, some upstanding and some recumbent, varying in
height between 0.3m - 1.3m. One of these stones displays prehistoric rock
carving depicting a spiral carefully linked into multiple concentric circles,
the design covering the width of the rock. Limited antiquarian investigation
of the cairn located eight large stones which apparently formed a circle. In
the centre of the mound was an oval cist within which was an urn containing
cremated bone. Two of the stones forming the cist displayed rock carving in
the form of cup and ring marks.
A post and wire fence on the monument's southern side is excluded from the
scheduling but the ground beneath the fence is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
23659
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
