Cairn with a cist north of Drizzlecombe stone alignments

Reasons for Designation

Dartmoor is the largest expanse of open moorland in southern Britain and, because of exceptional conditions of preservation, it is also one of the most complete examples of an upland relict landscape in the whole country. The great wealth and diversity of archaeological remains provides direct evidence for human exploitation of the Moor from the early prehistoric period onwards. The well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement sites, major land boundaries, trackways, ceremonial and funerary monuments as well as later industrial remains, gives significant insights into successive changes in the pattern of land use through time.

Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age (c.2500-1000 BC). They were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds, the latter predominating in areas of upland Britain where such raw materials were locally available in abundance. Round cairns may cover single or multiple burials and are sometimes surrounded by an outer ditch. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major visual element in the modern landscape. Their considerable variation in form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection. Dartmoor provides one of the best preserved and densest concentrations of round cairns in south-western Britain.

This cairn with a cist is closely associated with the ceremonial complex of alignments and cairns at Drizzlecombe.

Details

This cairn with a cist lies on a south-east facing slope north of the stone alignments in Drizzlecombe and the River Plym. It consists of a mound built of stone and earth 12m in diameter and 1m in height with a cist orientated north-west/south-east set in it. The cist is 1.10m in length, 1.02m in width and 0.75m in depth, the side slabs extend a further 20cm at either end beyond the end slabs. There is a high proportion of stone in the make-up of the mound. The cairn lies about 150m from the complex of stone alignments, cairns and enclosures in Drizzlecombe.

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:

10715

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
SX56NE-048/049, REF SX56NE-048/049, (1990)

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