Wetton Low bowl barrow

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 the monument's somewhat mutilated appearance Wetton Low bowl barrow survives reasonably well. Limited antiquarian investigation at the barrow's centre located inhumations, a cremation and grave goods, and these, together with recent surface finds of artefacts, indicate that further evidence of inhumations and grave goods will exist within the barrow and upon the old landsurface.

Details

The monument includes Wetton Low bowl barrow located on a ridge crest at the eastern end of a local high point. It survives as a somewhat mutilated oval mound up to 1.6m high with maximum dimensions of 22m by 18m. At the centre of the barrow is the site of an old limekiln represented by an oval hollow measuring some 8m by 5m and up to 1m deep. An Ordinance Survey triangulation pillar has been erected on the barrow to the east of the disturbed central area. Limited antiquarian investigation of the barrow's centre, in the sides of the limekiln hollow, located 2 cists - one containing a contracted inhumation of a young person, the other containing a cremation. A second inhumation and a rock cut grave containing a third inhumation were also discovered. Additionally flints and an urn sherd were found in the trench. Recent chance finds on the barrow's eroded surface around the base of the triangulation pillar consisted of 12 flints. The triangulation pillar is excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath it is included.

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:

13543

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Barnatt, J, The Peak District Barrow Survey (1989), (1989)
Bateman, T, Vestiges of the Antiquities of Derbyshire, (1849)
Exley, , Miller, , Cooper, , Derbyshire Archaeological Journal in Derbyshire Archaeological Journal, (1987)

Other
Bateman, Illustrations of Antiquity (Unpub volume of drawings), Sheffield City Museum
Darvill, T, MPP Single Monument Class Descriptions - Bowl Barrows,

End of official list entry

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