Cairn with a cist south-west 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 relatively well-preserved cairn with a cist lies near the ceremonial complex at Drizzlecombe.

Details

This cairn with a cist lies on gently sloping ground to the north of the River Plym and to the south-west of the complex of stone alignments and cairns at Drizzlecombe. The cairn is 5m in diameter and up to 0.4m in height, the side and end slabs of the cist are present, but the coverstone is missing. The cist is 1.4m in length, 0.9m in width and 0.5m in depth.

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:

10736

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
SX56NE-050, REF SX56NE-050, (1990)

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