Three round cairns, 500m east of King's Crags

Reasons for Designation

Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as stone mounds covering single or multiple burials. These burials may be placed within the mound in stone-lined compartments called cists. In some cases the cairn was surrounded by a ditch. Often occupying prominent locations, cairns are a major visual element in the modern landscape. They are a relatively common feature of the uplands and are the stone equivalent of the earthen round barrows of the lowlands. 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.

The three round cairns east of King's Crags survive well. Evidence of the manner of construction, and the nature and duration of their use will be preserved within and beneath the mounds. The monument is one of a number of contemporary monuments in the vicinity; taken together these monuments provide a clear indication of the extent of Bronze Age settlement in the area.

Details

The monument includes three round cairns of Bronze Age date situated in a line at the eastern end of a ridge. The first cairn is 10m in diameter and 0.6m high and has traces of a stone kerb around its perimeter. Three metres to the east is a second round cairn 8m in diameter and 0.6m high; a recent stone clearance mound has been placed on its north-west quadrant. The third round cairn lies immediately east of the second and is 3.5m in diameter and 0.6m high.

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:

20975

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
5407,

End of official list entry

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