Round barrow at Sunburnt Nab

Overview

Location

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.

This barrow has not been disturbed and significant information about the original form, burials placed within it and evidence of earlier land use beneath the mound will be preserved. Together with adjacent barrows it is thought to represent a territorial marker. Similar groups of monuments are also known across the north and central areas of the North York Moors, providing important insight into burial practice. Such groupings of 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.

Details

The monument includes a round barrow on the upper slopes of the north flank of Arden Great Moor. The barrow has an earth and stone mound standing 0.7m high. It is round in shape and 8m in diameter. This mound was surrounded by a ditch up to 3m wide which has become filled in over the years and is no longer visible as an earthwork. It is one of many similar barrows on the Hambleton Hills. Many of these lie in closely associated groups. They provide evidence of prehistoric territorial organisation marking the division of land, divisions which still remain as some parish or township boundaries.

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:

25509

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Spratt, D A , 'Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology in North East Yorkshire' in Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology of North East Yorkshire, , Vol. BAR 104, (1993)

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 Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.