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 disturbance to the central area of the barrow mound, much of the Upton
Nervet round barrow survives comparatively well and has potential for the
recovery of archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the
landscape in which the barrow was constructed.
Details
The monument includes the remains of a substantial round barrow situated on a
flat plateau to the south of the Kennet valley. The barrow mound has a
diameter of 25m and stands to a height of 1m. The whole of the mound has been
disturbed creating a hollow 0.4m deep. A surrounding ditch, from which
material for the mound was quarried, survives as an earthwork and is best
preserved around the north side where it is up to 5m wide and 0.5m deep. MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
19025
Legacy System:
RSM
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