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.
Details
The monument is a bowl barrow which survives as a grass-covered earthen
mound 46m in diameter and 2.5m high. There is no visible or recorded
evidence that this barrow has been excavated. The barrow stands in the floor
of an alluvial basin close to the gently rising ground leading to the Raddon
Hills to the north.
This barrow is an isolated example lying near the northern edge of the Upton
Pyne barrow group, which comprises over thirty recorded barrows dispersed
about the low-lying alluvial basin north of the confluences of the River Exe
with the Rivers Culm and Creedy. Within the overall group, barrows occur
both as isolated examples and forming localised clusters. Grave goods and a
radiocarbon date derived from the few partly-excavated barrows in the group
indicate burials during the early and middle Bronze Age (around 2000 - 1000
BC). All of the upstanding barrows in this group present the surface
appearance of unditched bowl barrows, the absence of ditches being supported
by aerial photographic evidence and confirmed for all examples that have
been excavated.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
15013
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
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
