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
Liffs Low bowl barrow is a sub-circular cairn situated on the south-western
ridges of the limestone plateau of Derbyshire on the eastward side of The
Liffs. The monument includes a mound measuring 18m by 14.5m with an average
height of c.1.5m. A Neolithic date for the monument is indicated by its
location beneath the crest of a hill and is corroborated by the partial
excavations carried out by Thomas Bateman in 1843 when it was found that the
cairn contained at least one cist with an inhumation burial accompanied by
flint and antler artefacts and a pot of unusual form dating to the transition
between the Neolithic and Beaker periods. A second partial excavation carried
out in the 1930s revealed a second cist containing a skeleton and a beaker.
Bronze staining on some of the bones indicates the re-use of the cairn in the
early Bronze Age.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
13303
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
