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 monument is a rare survival in Cumbria of an unexcavated example of this
class of monument. It lies close to other monuments in the vicinity of Four
Stones Hill, and thus indicates the importance of this area in prehistoric
times and the diversity of monument classes to be found here.
Details
The monument is a round cairn located on a gently sloping shelf on the
fellside west of Four Stones Hill. It lies immediately west of a prehistoric
enclosure containing four clearance cairns and a stone bank, and includes a
slightly oval mound of largely turf-covered stones up to 0.4m high with
maximum dimensions of 6.4m by 6.2m. 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:
23610
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other Darvill, T, MPP Single Monument Class Descriptions - Bowl Barrows (1988), (1988)
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.
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