Round cairn 320m north-north-west of Seal Howe

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.

Despite construction of a bield (animal shelter) and modern cairn on the monument's summit and limited antiquarian investigation, the round cairn 320m north-north-west of Seal Howe survives reasonably well. This investigation located human and faunal remains together with pottery, and further evidence of interments and grave goods will exist within the mound and upon the old land surface.

Details

The monument is a round cairn located 320m north-north-west of Seal Howe on an escarpment of Carboniferous Limestone. It includes a slightly oval mound of limestone stones and earth up to 1.4m high with maximum dimensions of 14m by 13m. Limited antiquarian investigation of the monument's centre located the primary burial of an unburnt male on the old landsurface and, a short distance to the south, a secondary burial consisting of an urn containing the cremated remains of a woman and child. A few ox bones were also found.

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:

22452

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Greenwell, W, British Barrows, (1877), 298

Other
SMR No.1579, Cumbria SMR, Cairn 250yds NW of Seal Howe, (1991)

End of official list entry

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