Bowl barrow and associated enclosure 430m north of Longcross Pond forming part of Black Bush Plain 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 Black Bush Plain round barrow cemetery contains a significantly large number of small undisturbed barrows. The survival of so many small barrows within a cemetery is particularly uncommon in southern England. Although part of the enclosure at this monument has been disturbed, it is an extremely rare feature and, combined with the barrow, has considerable archaeological potential. The New Forest region is known to have been important in terms of lowland Bronze Age occupation and a considerable amount of archaeological evidence has survived because of a lack of agricultural activity, the result of later climatic deterioration, development of heath and the establishment of a Royal Forest.

Details

This monument includes a bowl barrow and a length of curved bank situated on lowland heath and forming part of Black Bush Plain round barrow cemetery. The barrow mound measures 5m in diameter and stands up to 0.3m high. Surrounding the mound is a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the barrow. This has become partly infilled over the years but survives as a slight earthwork 1m wide and 0.05m deep. A curved bank believed to be contemporary with the barrow mound and measuring 16m long, 1.3m wide and 0.1m high runs westwards from the south-western edge of the mound. Although only partly visible as an earthwork, the bank is believed to be circular, the remainder surviving as a levelled feature. An accompanying ditch may survive as a buried feature, possibly on the outside of the bank. It has an overall diameter of 12m and may represent the site of a fancy barrow or some form of related funerary enclosure.

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:

20305

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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