Bowl barrow 400m west of Damgate

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 limited antiquarian investigation of the barrow's centre and some plough damage the monument survives reasonably well. This investigation revealed primary and secondary inhumations, faunal remains, pottery and flints, and further similar evidence of interments and grave goods will exist within the barrow and upon the old landsurface.

Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow located some 400m west of Damgate on the crest of a broad undulating ridgetop. It survives as an oval earthen mound, including some of stones, and stands up to 1.7m high with maximum dimensions of 27m by 25m. At the centre of the barrow is a shallow dished area some 4m diameter by 0.2m deep. A drystone wall runs east-west across the barrow's summit. Limited antiquarian investigation close to the centre of the mound located a rock cut grave 1.2m deep containing a contracted inhumation with a beaker placed behind the head and a flint artefact. At a depth of 0.15m, below a flat stone on the surface, a secondary inhumation was found. Many flints and some animal bones were also recovered from the barrow. The drystone wall 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:

13540

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)

Other
Darvill,T., MPP Single Monument Class Description - Bowl Barrows, (1988)

End of official list entry

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