Four bowl barrows on Lavington Common, north of Lower Barn

Overview

Location

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.

Despite some damage caused by forestry and animal burrowing, the four bowl barrows on Lavington Common survive comparatively well and have potential for the recovery of archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the landscape in which they were constructed. Such groups provide an insight into burial practices and social organization in the Bronze Age period as well as suggesting the intensity of occupation which occurred in the area.

Details

The monument includes four bowl barrows situated on a rise in the Greensand 2km north of the South Downs. The barrow furthest to the east (SU 9444 1840) has a central mound which measures 18m in diameter and 1.2m high. Surrounding the mound is a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. This has become infilled over the years and is no longer visible at ground level but survives as a buried feature c.3m wide. The next barrow (SU 9440 1839) to the west is 16m in diameter and 1.1m high and has a surrounding ditch which has become infilled, surviving as a c.3m wide buried feature. The third barrow (SU 9439 1836) is 16m in diameter and 1.5m high. The surrounding ditch has become infilled and survives as a buried feature c.3m wide. The fourth barrow (SU 9436 1839) has a central mound 18m in diameter and 1m high. The surrounding ditch has become partially infilled and is still visible to the south-west of the mound where there is a flat step 2.5m wide between the mound and the fall of the slope. The rest of the ditch survives as a buried feature.

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:

20048

Legacy System:

RSM

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 Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.