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.
Despite partial disturbance caused by past ploughing and agricultural
activity, the bowl barrow on Telscombe Tye survives comparatively well and
will contain archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the
monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. Around 650m to the
north east is a further bowl barrow, known as Pedlersburgh, and c.1km to the
north east is a cross dyke, a prehistoric linear boundary. The close
association of these broadly contemporary monuments provides evidence for the
importance of this area for funerary practices, settlement and agriculture
during the prehistoric period.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow situated on chalk downland c.700m north
east of the present Sussex coast. The barrow has a circular mound 24m in
diameter, which survives to a height of c.0.75m. A slight, central hollow
indicates that it has been partially excavated some time in the past.
Surrounding the mound is a ditch from which material used to construct the
barrow was excavated. This has become infilled over the years, and has been
partially disturbed on its south eastern side by an adjacent track. However,
it survives as a buried feature around 2m wide.
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.
