Reasons for Designation
Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age
(c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as stone mounds covering single or
multiple burials. These burials may be placed within the mound in stone-lined
compartments called cists. In some cases the cairn was surrounded by a ditch.
Often occupying prominent locations, cairns are a major visual element in the
modern landscape. They are a relatively common feature of the uplands and are
the stone equivalent of the earthen round barrows of the lowlands. Their
considerable variation in form and longevity as a monument type provide
important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation
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 the remains of a round cairn of prehistoric date
situated on the edge of a cliff, to the north of Beadnell harbour. The visible
remains comprise a cist, or stone coffin, situated on the edge of an amorphous
mound of boulders, pebbles and sand. The mound, which has become spread,
covers a roughly circular area 15m in diameter and stands to a maximum height
of 0.4m. A second cist is known to lie 3.5m to the south of the first but is
now not visible above ground level. Both of these cists were discovered and
partially excavated in 1934; the first, which is still visible today, is built
of large sandstone slabs orientated WNW by ESE and measures 0.9m by 0.6m and
is 0.5m deep. It contained the bones of a prehistoric burial. The second cist
measured 0.8m by 0.6m and was 0.6m deep. The removal of a covering slab of
sandstone revealed the remains of a second prehistoric burial along with a
decorated Bronze Age pottery vessel; the pot is now in the Museum of
Antiquities in Newcastle.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
25048
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals 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
