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
This barrow is the south-western of two bowl barrows situated on Bole Hill and
is a sub-circular cairn in a hill-top location lying north of Wye Dale on the
limestone plateau of Derbyshire. The monument includes a flat-topped mound
measuring 19.5m by 15m by c.1m high. This was partially quarried for its
stone at the time of the Enclosures when two bronze `celts' or axe-blades were
found. In 1846 Thomas Bateman carried out a partial excavation and recovered
the remains of two inhumations and a cremation along with a number of flints.
One of the inhumations was on the old land surface beneath the barrow and
would have been the primary burial while the other was found nearer the
surface and was probably a secondary insertion. The material from the barrow
dates it to the Bronze Age. A boundary bank adjacent to the mound on its
south-east side is from a much later period and not directly related to the
monument.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
13365
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
