Bowl barrow known as 'Black Barrow': 670m NNE of Longstone Farmhouse
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Scheduled Monument
- List Entry Number:
- 1007805
- Date first listed:
- 11-Jul-1994
Map
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Location
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Isle of Wight (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Brighstone
- National Grid Reference:
- SZ 41513 84190
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.
The bowl barrow, known as 'Black Barrow', survives well and, never having been
excavated, will contain archaeological remains and environmental evidence
relating to the barrow and the landscape in which it was constructed. This is
by far the largest and most unusual barrow on the island and one of only very
few situated on Greensand.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow situated on Greensand to the south of a
chalk ridge. The barrow lies on a natural rise within a valley setting with
commanding views to the south east and north east.
The barrow has a mound which measures c.48m east-west and c.52m north-south
and is c.5m high. Surrounding the mound is a ditch from which material was
quarried during its construction. This has become partly infilled over the
years but can still be seen at ground level as a depression 4m wide and 0.3m
deep. Beyond the ditch to the north of the barrow is a counterscarp 5m 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.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 21985
- Legacy System:
- RSM
Sources
Books and journals
'Proceedings of the I.O.W. Nat History and Archaeological Soc' in Proceedings of the I.O.W. Nat History and Archaeological Society, , Vol. 3, (1940), 189,203
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.
End of official listing