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 includes a small Bronze Age bowl barrow and two Anglo-Saxon
hlaews (burial mounds), aligned south west to north east, and situated 70m
south of the White Horse and c.100m north east of Uffington Castle on
Whitehorse Hill, an area that is in the Guardianship of the Secretary of
State. The barrows lie on the top of the hill and overlook a Neolithic long
barrow and Romano British cemetery c.60m to the west.
The Bronze Age barrow mound, which is situated at the south west end of the
group, measures 11m in diameter and stands up to 0.15m high. Surrounding the
mound is a quarry ditch from which material was obtained during the
construction of the monument. This has become infilled over the years and is
now only visible at ground level as a slight depression to the north and west
of the barrow. Recent excavation has shown it to survive as a buried feature
c.2m wide. The mound has been cut by later Roman features from which
artefacts, including metal work, have been recovered. The two Anglo-Saxon
hlaews are difficult to locate at ground level but they have been plotted by a
recent geophysical survey as being c.11m apart and each having a diameter of
9m. Although the mounds have been levelled, the Saxon ground surface and all
features cut into it, for example burial pits, will survive below the present
ground level. These barrows did not have quarry ditches but were built from
material collected from nearby.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
21777
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
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
