Group of three bowl barrows 180m south 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 group of three bowl barrows 180m south of Tyning's Farm survive well despite areas of localised disturbance caused by partial excavation of the barrow mounds. The monument contains archaeological and environmental evidence relating both to the barrows and the landscape in which they were constructed. Numerous other burial monuments of the same date also survive 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 group of three bowl barrows located on level ground 180m south of Tyning's Farm. The barrows form part of a dispersed round barrow cemetery. The northernmost barrow consists of a barrow mound 20m in diameter and c.2.5m high at its highest point. The central bowl barrow comprises a mound 17m in diameter and c.1.75m high at its highest point. The southernmost bowl barrow consists of a mound 20m in diameter and c.1.75m high at its highest point. Although no longer visible at ground level, all three barrow mounds are surrounded by ditches from which material was quarried during their construction. These have become infilled over the years but survive as buried features c.3m wide. The ditch surounding the central mound is known from excavation to be c.1.8m deep with a causeway on the southwest side. All three barrows were partially excavated by R.F.Read in 1924 and by H. Taylor in 1932. Finds from the excavation of the northernmost included a cremation burial, contemporary with the construction of the monument, in an upright ceramic urn. A second later cremation burial was found with three small ceramic cups. Finds from the central barrow included a double cremation burial contemporary with the construction of the monument placed in and around an inverted ceramic urn set on a limestone slab. In addition burnt logs or boards, flint arrowheads, saddle querns, and a spindle whorl were also reported. Read's excavation also demonstrated that a second barrow mound had been constructed on the first and the causeway moved from the southwest to the east. Finds from the southernmost barrow included human bone and flint arrowheads.

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:

13878

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), 137-9
Read, R F, Proceedings of the Univ of Bristol Speleological Society in Excavation Of Mendip Barrows, Vol. Vol 2, (1924), 139-41
Read, R F, Proceedings of the Univ of Bristol Speleological Society in Excavation Of Mendip Barrows, Vol. Vol 2, (1924), 142-3
Tratman, E K, University of Bristol Speleological Society in Barrow Catalogue, ()
Tratman, E K, University of Bristol Speleological Society in Barrow Catalogue, ()
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 Barrow Group, Second Report, Vol. 4(2), (1933), 67-127
Taylor, H, Proceedings of the Univ of Bristol Speleological Society in Tyning's Farm Barrows: Third Report, Vol. 6(2), (1951), 131
Taylor, H, Proceedings of the Univ of Bristol Speleological Society in Tyning's Farm Barrows: Third Report, Vol. 6(2), (1951), 111&119
Taylor, H, Proceedings of the Univ of Bristol Speleological Society in Tyning's Farm Barrows: Third Report, Vol. 6(2), (1951), 129-31

Other
Porter, D K and Austin, L, (1991)
ST45NE58, Ordnance Survey, ST45NE58,
11429, 11429, (1991)

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