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.
Details
The monument is one of a dispersed alignment of five bowl barrows situated on
Calton Pastures in the eastern gritstone moorlands of Derbyshire. It includes
the remains of a partially excavated barrow which originally stood between
1.5m and 2m high and is currently 12m by 9m in diameter. It may have been this
barrow that was excavated by Major Rooke in either 1779 or 1787, since it had
clearly been disturbed when, in 1850, Thomas Bateman reopened it and then
abandoned it without examining the rest of the mound. Rooke's barrow contained
a small cist or stone-lined grave, the slabs from which remain in the barrow.
The cist held a pottery food vessel and a cremation which date the monument to
the Bronze Age. Faint earthworks from ridge and furrow ploughing lie next to
the barrow but are not included in the scheduling.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
23252
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
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 Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
