Round barrow 1650m east of Life Hill

Overview

Heritage Category: Scheduled Monument

List Entry Number: 1007860

Date first listed: 27-Jan-1994

Location

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

National Grid Reference: SE 94759 62136

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 this barrow may have been partially excavated and has been altered by agricultural activity it is still visible as a mound. Further evidence of the structure of the mound, the surrounding ditch and burials will survive. It will also contribute to an understanding of the wider group of which it is a member.

Details

The monument includes a Bronze Age round barrow, part of a wider group in this area of the Yorkshire Wolds. The barrow mound is 0.4m high and 20m in diameter. Although no longer visible at ground level, a ditch, from which material was excavated during the construction of the monument, surrounds the barrow mound. This has become in-filled over the years but survives as a buried feature 5m wide and is visible as a dark soil-mark. The 19th century antiquarian J R Mortimer excavated a number of barrows in this area, though it is not clear from his records whether he actually investigated this particular barrow.

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: 21220

Legacy System: RSM

Sources

Other
3803, Humberside SMR,

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.