Three bowl barrows 280m south east of Freshwater Bay Golf Clubhouse: part of a round barrow cemetery on Afton Down

Reasons for Designation

Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them, contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.



Despite one of the barrows being partially excavated, each of these bowl barrows on Afton Down will contain archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the barrow and the landscape in which it was constructed.

Details

The monument includes three bowl barrows situated on a west facing hillside overlooking the coastline on the south western part of the Isle of Wight. Two of the bowl barrows have mounds with diameters of 16m and one has a diameter of 11m. One of the barrow mounds is c.1.2m high and and the other two are c.1m high. Surrounding each mound is a ditch from which material was quarried during its construction. These have become infilled over the years and can no longer be seen at ground level, but survive as buried features c.3m wide.

The middle barrow of the three was partially excavated by the Rev J Skinner in the 19th century when he found an urn containing a bronze pin.

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:

21998

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Proceeding of the I.O.W. Nat History and Archaeological Soc in Proceedings of the I.O.W. Nat History and Archaeological Society, Vol. 1, (1929), 656
Proceedings of the I.O.W. Nat History and Archaeological Soc in Proceedings of the I.O.W. Nat History and Archaeological Society, (1940), 196-7
Proceedings of the I.O.W. Nat History and Archaeological Soc in Proceedings of the I.O.W. Nat History and Archaeological Society, (1940), 196-7

Other
Pers. Comm. Dr. D. Tomalin SMR No 167, I. O. W. County Council, I. O. W. County Council SMR, (1977)

End of official list entry

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