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. Their ubiquity and their tendency to occupy
prominent locations makes them 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 organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are
particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion
of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.
This barrow is one of a small dispersed group which have demonstrated
considerable potential for the preservation of environmental evidence
both of a contemporary kind as well as of the pre-barrow ground surface.
Details
The round barrow is 18m in diameter and stands 0.75m high. It lies on
Darracott Moor and although it has been ploughed in the past, it is now
under grass. No visible ditch remains, but this could have been obscured
by ploughing. There is no record of the barrow having been excavated and
it thus offers considerable archaeological potential.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
13604
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
