Hanging Grimston barrow group: a bowl barrow 650m SSW of Thixendale Grange

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.

Although the barrow has been partially altered by agricultural activity and is no longer visible as an earthwork, there is no evidence that the barrow has ever been excavated; below ground remains of the surrounding ditch, grave pits (which may be up to 2m in depth) and burials will survive intact.

The monument is one of a closely associated group of barrows which have further associations with broadly contemporary boundary earthworks in the vicinity of Hanging Grimston. Similar groups of monuments are also known from other parts of the Wolds and from the southern edge of the North York Moors. Such associations between monuments offer important scope for the study of the division of land for social, ritual and agricultural purposes in different geographical areas during the prehistoric period. Additionally, some of the barrows in the Hanging Grimston area are distributed parallel to a line later adopted by a Roman road; this distribution implies a degree of continuity of land divisions from at least the Early Bronze Age into the Roman period.

Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow which is one of several situated on the south eastern spur of Deepdale Wold. This barrow also lies 160m east of the later Roman road between Malton and Brough; the distribution of Neolithic and Bronze Age burial mounds parallel to this road is evidence that the Romans continued to use an established prehistoric route across the Wolds.

Although altered by agricultural activity and no longer visible as an earthwork, the ditch surrounding the barrow, which has become infilled over the years, is visible on aerial photographs. The ditch has a maximum diameter of 34m. As there is no evidence that the barrow has ever been excavated, the buried ditch and the contents of burial pits, which may be up to 2m deep, are thought to remain intact.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 3 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:

20578

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Stoertz C, RCHME unpublished survey (1992), 1992,

End of official list entry

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