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
Lean Low bowl barrow is a sub-circular cairn which utilises a natural knoll on
the western upland ridges of the limestone plateau of Derbyshire. The monument
includes a mound measuring 17m by 15m with an apparent height of c.1.5m.
Partial excavation carried out by Marsden in 1972, however, has shown that the
actual height of the mound, above the old surface of the knoll, is between
0.45 and 0.75m. The mound has suffered slight disturbance in the past caused
by stone robbing and quarrying.
Marsden's excavation located a burial west of centre of the mound lying on the
old land surface. Elsewhere he found scattered human and animal bones and
flint implements, including a barbed and tanged arrowhead, a jet bead and a
human cremation. Previous partial excavations carried out by Bateman in 1843
and 1847 uncovered a crouched skeleton on the old land surface, an extended
burial higher in the mound and a cist containing a human cremation and a food
vessel. The burials on the old land surface may have been earlier than those
placed higher in the mound, suggesting the monument was utilised over a long
period of time throughout the Bronze Age. Excluded from the scheduling are the
walls crossing the monument and the Ordnance Survey trig point on the northern
edge. The ground beneath these features is, however, included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
13305
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
