Reasons for Designation
Dartmoor is the largest expanse of open moorland in Southern Britain and
because of exceptional conditions of preservation, it is also one of the
most complete examples of an upland relict landscape in the whole country.
The great wealth and diversity of archaeological remains provides direct
evidence for human exploitation of the Moor from the early prehistoric
period onwards. The well-preserved and often visible relationship between
settlement sites, major land boundaries, trackways, ceremonial and funerary
monuments as well as later industrial remains, gives significant insights
into successive changes in the pattern of land use through time.
This partly preserved cist is significant in its relationship to burial
cairns, standing stones and the stone alignment on Butterdon Hill. Together
they indicate the wealth of evidence relating to the ritual side of
prehistoric life on this part of the Moor.
Details
Many examples of prehistoric funerary monuments are preserved on Dartmoor,
mostly dating to the Bronze Age (c.2500-500 BC). To celebrate or commemorate
the dead, mounds of earth or stone were piled in a roughly hemispherical
shape over the burial, which was sometimes contained in a small rectangular
structure, or cist, made of stone slabs. Some monuments also include
kerbstones marking the outer edge of the mound and a surrounding ditch.
This cist lies 250 m. east of Hangershell Rock, 130 m. east of Butterdon
Hill stone alignment and is freestanding. The cist is orientated north-east/
south-west, both end slabs and one side slab are in place, but the other
side and the capstone are missing. The cist is 0.4 m. deep, 0.63 m. long and
0.5 m. wide at the north end and tapers to 0.33 m. at the southern end.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
10544
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
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.
End of official list entry
