Seaty Hill round cairn

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.

The monument, although partially disturbed by excavation, is still a well preserved example containing further archaeological remains.

Details

The monument is situated in a prominent position on the summit of Seaty Hill. It includes a sub-circular stony mound with a diameter of 20m and height of 1.1m surrounded by a shallow ditch and bank. The ditch is 2m wide and 0.2m- 0.3m deep with a causeway 3m wide on the north west side. The outer bank is most discernible on the south and south west sides. The mound itself is uneven, having been partially disturbed by excavation which recovered Early Bronze Age and Iron Age burials. The monument has a diameter of 22.5m.

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:

24493

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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