Anthony Hill bowl barrow

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 being partially degraded by ploughing, much of Anthony Hill bowl barrow survives intact and will contain significant archaeological remains including those of the primary central burial.

Details

Anthony Hill bowl barrow is a roughly circular cairn situated above an escarpment in the western upland ridges of the limestone plateau of Derbyshire. The monument includes a mound measuring 13.5m by 13m and standing c.0.5m high. Originally the mound would have been somewhat higher but the barrow has been ploughed over in the past which has caused it to spread slightly. A partial excavation of the site, carried out by Thomas Bateman in 1851, revealed a boar's tusk and scattered human bone from a secondary interment near to the surface of the mound. The appearance and location of the barrow are an indication that it dates to the Bronze Age.

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:

13347

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Barnatt, J, The Peak District Barrow Survey (1989), (1989)
Barnatt, J, The Peak District Barrow Survey (1989), (1989)
Bateman, T, Ten Years Diggings in Celtic and Saxon Grave-Hills, (1861)
Marsden, B M, The Burial Mounds of Derbyshire , (1977)

End of official list entry

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