Cairn and cist forming part of a cairnfield on Homerton Hill

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 provide direct evidence for human exploitation of the Moor from the early prehistoric period onwards. The well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement sites, 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. Cairnfields are concentrations of three or more cairns sited within close proximity to one another; they may consist of burial cairns or cairns built with stone cleared from the land surface (clearance cairns). Round funerary cairns were constructed during the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC) and consisted of earthen or rubble mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple burials. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major visual element in the modern landscape. The considerable variation in the size of cairnfields and their 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.

The cairnfield on Homerton Hill survives well and contains archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. It provides a valuable insight into Bronze Age agricultural and funerary activity on the western side of the Moor. This cairn is the only example within the cairnfield which contains a visible cist, although given that the mound is of a similar size to others within the group, there is a possibility that other unexcavated examples remain.

Details

This monument includes a cairn and cist forming an outlying part of a cairnfield situated on a gentle north west facing slope of Homerton Hill overlooking the valley of the West Okement River. Other cairns, an enclosure and bank lie in the immediate vicinity and these are covered by separate schedulings. The cairn measures 4m in diameter, stands up to 0.7m high on the downslope side and 0.3m high on the upslope. The cairn has been partially excavated to reveal a cist orientated NNW to SSE. The interior of the cist measures 1.05m long, 0.45m wide and 0.5m deep. One end stone was removed during excavation and the coverstone, which was also displaced at this time, lies immediately NNE of the mound. This cairn forms part of a group which most likely represents stone clearance connected with cultivation of the area, although clearly some examples were also used for funerary purposes.

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:

24154

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
MPP fieldwork by S. Gerrard,
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX59SE56, (1980)

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