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. Much of the barrow survives very well and, despite partial excavation in the
19th century, it retains significant archaeological information relating to
the duration and manner of its usage and the environment in which it was
constructed.
Details
The monument includes a Bronze Age round barrow situated on Callis Wold. The
barrow mound is 2m high and has a diameter of 22m. It has a flattened top and,
to the north, part of the mound has been scooped away, probably as a result of
19th century excavations. A hedge line crosses the mound's north eastern edge
and to the north east of this hedge the mound has been ploughed away, though
the ditch still survives as a buried feature. Traces of a surrounding ditch
3.5m wide survive on the south and west sides of the ditch. J R Mortimer
carried out two investigations of the barrow mound in 1864 and 1892; four
cremations, two in urns, were found with associated worked flints. 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:
21096
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Mortimer, J , Burial Mounds of East Yorkshire, (1905), 165 Mortimer, J R , Forty Years Researches in British and Saxon Burial Mounds of East Yorkshire, (1905), 164-166 'Archaeologia' in Archaeologia: Volume 76, , Vol. 76, (1927), 86-87 Jewitt, L, 'Old Yorkshire' in Old Yorkshire Volume IV, , Vol. IV, (1883), 101 Mortimer, J R, 'Archaeologia' in Archaeologia Volume 43, , Vol. 43, (1871), 415
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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