Bowl barrow 190m south west of Tyning's Farm: part of the Tyning's Farm round barrow cemetery

Reasons for Designation

Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them, contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

The bowl barrow 190m south west of Tyning's Farm survives comparatively well despite areas of localised disturbance caused by previous excavation and spreading of the barrow mound by cultivation. Although the primary burial has been excavated, much of the ditch fill, old ground surface and some of the barrow mound remains intact. The barrow therefore retains archaeological and environmental evidence relating both to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. The importance of the monument is enhanced by its position in a round barrow cemetery and by its association with other contemporary burial monuments in the area. Such evidence gives an indication of the intensity of occupation and the nature of social organisation present in the area during the Bronze Age period.

Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow, part of a dispersed round barrow cemetery, located on sloping ground 190m south west of Tyning's Farm. It consists of a barrow mound 14m in diameter and c.0.25m high at its highest point. The barrow mound has been spread by cultivation. Although no longer visible at ground level a causewayed ditch, from which material was quarried during construction of the monument, surrounds the barrow mound. This has become infilled over the years but survives as a buried feature c.3m wide. The monument was partially excavated in 1923-4 by R.F.Read. Finds included a cremation burial, possibly contemporary with the construction of the monument, in a cist or stone-lined grave 1.2m long by 0.8m wide and 0.4m deep. The excavation also demonstrated that the barrow mound was constructed with a retaining kerb of limestone blocks. The mound was subsequently excavated by H.Taylor. Finds and a scale model of the monument are in the University of Bristol Speleological Museum.

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:

13877

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Read, R F, Proceedings of the Univ of Bristol Speleological Society in Excavation Of Mendip Barrows, Vol. Vol 2, (1924), 141-2
Tratman, E K, University of Bristol Speleological Society in Barrow Catalogue, ()
Grinsell, L, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeology and Natural Hist Soc in Somerset Barrows Part II, Vol. Vol 115, (1971), 96
Taylor, H, Proceedings of the Univ of Bristol Speleological Society in Tyning's Farm Barrows: Third Report, Vol. 6(2), (1951), 111&119

Other
ST45NE58, Ordnance Survey, ST45NE58,
11428, Dennison, E, 11428, (1991)

End of official list entry

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