Reasons for Designation
Saucer barrows are funerary monuments of the Early Bronze Age, most examples
dating to between 1800 and l200 BC. They occur either in isolation or in
barrow cemeteries (closely-spaced groups of round barrows). They were
constructed as a circular area of level ground defined by a bank and internal
ditch and largely occupied by a single low, squat mound covering one or more
burials, usually in a pit. The burials, either inhumations or cremations, are
sometimes accompanied by pottery vessels, tools and personal ornaments. Saucer
barrows are one of the rarest recognised forms of round barrow, with about 60
known examples nationally, most of which are in Wessex. The presence of grave
goods within the barrows provides important evidence for chronological and
cultural links amongst prehistoric communities over a wide area of southern
England as well as providing an insight into their beliefs and social
organisation. As a rare and fragile form of round barrow, all identified
saucer barrows would normally be considered to be of national importance.
Details
The monument includes a saucer barrow located in the bend of a track on
enclosed moorland 90m east of Ell Clough. It includes a circular mound of
earth and stones 14m in diameter and up to 0.4m high which is surrounded by a
ditch 1.5m wide by 0.2m deep. Flanking this ditch is an outer bank measuring
up to 2.5m wide and 0.2m-1m high. At the centre of the mound there is a
circular hollow 2.5m in diameter by 0.25m deep which marks the site of a
limited antiquarian excavation undertaken in 1887 during which charcoal and
burnt human bones were found.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
23727
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
