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. The bowl barrow 300m north east of Whitnell Corner has been reduced in height
by cultivation but the spreading of the mound material will have sealed
underlying archaeological deposits. The monument will, therefore, contain
archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the barrow and the
landscape in which it was constructed.
The bowl barrow forms part of a wider group of round barrows known to occur in
the area.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow situated below the crest of a gentle
south east facing slope 300m north east of Whitnell Corner, in an area of the
Mendip Hills.
The barrow has a mound composed of small stones. It has a maximum diameter of
10m and a maximum height of c.0.25m. This is surrounded by a ditch from which
material was quarried during the construction of the monument. This has become
infilled over the years, but will survive as a buried feature c.2m wide. 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:
22916
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Grinsell, L, 'Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeology and Natural Hist Soc' in Somerset Barrows Part II, , Vol. 115, (1971), 106
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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