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 two bowl barrows on Stand Low are situated c.20m apart on a ridge in the
southern fringes of the limestone plateau of Derbyshire. The monument includes
both barrows within a single constraint area.
The larger, north-western barrow is a sub-circular cairn measuring 16m by
13.5m by c.1m high while the smaller, south-eastern barrow is roughly circular
and measures 10.5m by 9.5m by c.1m high. Both barrows are situated next to a
quarry which contains the entrance to a lead rake. The land on which the
barrows are situated is `King's Field'; that is, an area in which the right to
mine lead is exclusively that of the Crown. The two barrows are joined by a
linear earthwork, included in the scheduling, which measures c.10m wide and
stands c.0.6m high. This earthwork is not yet fully understood, though one
interpretation is that it is part of a boundary bank demarcating the northern
limit of the `King's Field'. During a partial excavation of one of the barrows
by Lucas and Carrington in 1869 a number of finds were made which date the
barrow to the Bronze Age. These include a pottery urn, an amber ring, a
perforated stone axe and a bronze 3-rivetted dagger with an ivory pommel.
Cropmarks also indicate the probable location of Anglian secondary burials
dating to c.AD700. Excluded from the scheduling is the field wall crossing the
eastern edge of the monument but the ground underneath is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
13338
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
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
