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 870m southwest of Dale Farm survives well as a stone mound and
contains archaeological evidence relating both to the monument and the
landscape in which it was constructed.
The importance of the monument is enhanced by its location in an area which
supports a concentration of contemporary burial monuments including both
earthen mounds and cairns, thus giving an indication of the nature and scale
of human occupation during the Bronze Age period.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow set on a scarp edge 870m southwest of Dale
Farm. It consists of a stone cairn or mound 26m in diameter and 1m high at
its highest point. A drystone wall running northeast to southwest crosses
the cairn and is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath it
is included. 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:
13841
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) Tratman, E K, 'Proceedings of the Univ of Bristol Speleological Society' in Fieldwork , , Vol. Vol 5(1), (1938)
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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