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 caused by animal burrowing and scrub growth, the pair of
bowl barrows 350m NNE of Whitnell Corner survive well and contain
archaeological and environmental evidence relating both to the monument and
the landscape in which it was constructed.
The barrows survive in an area which supports a concentration of contemporary
burial monuments, thus giving an indication of the nature and scale of human
occupation during the Bronze Age period.
Details
The monument includes two bowl barrows located on rising ground 350m NNE of
Whitnell Corner.
The northernmost of the two bowl barrows [ST59834910] comprises a mound 30m in
diameter and c.2.5m high at its highest point. A ditch, from which material
was quarried during the construction of the monument, surrounds the barrow
mound. This has become infilled over the years but is visible as a slight
depression c.2m wide on the north side of the barrow mound and survives as a
buried feature elsewhere.
The southernmost bowl barrow [ST59814908] comprises a mound 18m in diameter
and c.1.0m high at its highest point. Although no longer visible at ground
level, a quarry ditch c.3m wide surrounds the barrow mound. 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:
13941
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Grinsell, L, 'Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeology and Natural Hist Soc' in Somerset Barrows Part II, , Vol. Vol 115, (1971), p. 106 Tratman, E K, 'University of Bristol Speleological Society' in Barrow Catalogue, () Tratman, E K, 'University of Bristol Speleological Society' in Barrow Catalogue, ()
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.
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