Reasons for Designation
Long barrows were constructed as earthen or drystone mounds with flanking
ditches and acted as funerary monuments during the Early and Middle Neolithic
periods (3400-2400 BC). They represent the burial places of Britain's early
farming communities and, as such, are amongst the oldest field monuments
surviving visibly in the present landscape. Where investigated, long barrows
appear to have been used for communal burial, often with only parts of the
human remains having been selected for interment. Certain sites provide
evidence for several phases of funerary monument preceding the barrow and,
consequently, it is probable that long barrows acted as important ritual sites
for local communities over a considerable period of time. Some 500 long
barrows are recorded in England. As one of the few types of Neolithic
structure to survive as earthworks, and due to their comparative rarity, their
considerable age and their longevity as a monument type, all long barrows are
considered to be nationally important.
Details
The monument includes a long barrow set below the crest of a north-facing
promontory overlooking the Wylye Valley. The barrow mound, like others in the
area, is ovoid in plan and orientated east-west. It is 50m long, 15m wide and
stands to a height of 2.5m. Partial excavation of the mound by Cunnington in
the late 19th century produced eight skeletons contemporary with the
construction of the monument as well as two later cremation burials in a
pottery urn. Although no longer visible at ground level, ditches from which
material was quarried during construction of the monument, run parallel to the
north and south sides of the mound. These have become infilled over the years
but survive as buried features c.3m wide.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
12341
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
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
