Reasons for Designation
Saucer barrows are funerary monuments of the Early Bronze Age, most examples
dating to between 1800 and l200 BC. They occur either in isolation or in
barrow cemeteries (closely-spaced groups of round barrows). They were
constructed as a circular area of level ground defined by a bank and internal
ditch and largely occupied by a single low, squat mound covering one or more
burials, usually in a pit. The burials, either inhumations or cremations, are
sometimes accompanied by pottery vessels, tools and personal ornaments. Saucer
barrows are one of the rarest recognised forms of round barrow, with about 60
known examples nationally, most of which are in Wessex. The presence of grave
goods within the barrows provides important evidence for chronological and
cultural links amongst prehistoric communities over a wide area of southern
England as well as providing an insight into their beliefs and social
organisation. As a rare and fragile form of round barrow, all identified
saucer barrows would normally be considered to be of national importance.
Details
The monument includes a saucer barrow, surviving as a low earthwork,
and set on the gentle south-facing slope of a dry valley. The barrow
comprises a central mound c.15m in diameter and 0.1m high set on a
level platform and surrounded by a ditch, no longer visible at ground
level but surviving as a buried feature. Prior to cultivation, the
barrow mound was recorded as being 0.8m high and the ditch was
surrounded by an outer bank giving the barrow an overall diameter of
c.32m.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
12163
Legacy System:
RSM
End of official list entry
