Bowl barrow on Nunwell Down known as The Devil's Punchbowl

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. Often occupying prominent locations, they are 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 organisations amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

The bowl barrow on Nunwell Down survives well and is known from partial excavation to contain archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the barrow and the landscape in which it was constructed. This barrow is the survivor of a pair of barrows on this part of Nunwell Down.

Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow just below the crest of a south east facing hillside on the Isle of Wight. The barrow has a mound which measures 18m in diameter and is c.1.4m high. Surrounding the mound is a ditch from which material was quarried during its construction. This has become partly infilled over the years but can still be seen as a slight depression on the south side of the mound c.1.5m wide and 0.2m deep. The remainder will survive as a buried feature. There is a central depression in the mound c.5m wide. This represents an excavation conducted in the last century in which an interment was found. The interment was that of a child in a contracted position. A hammer-head perforated deer antler was also found in the barrow. The post and wire fence on the north edge of the mound and the hedgerow fence are excluded from the scheduling, but the ground beneath is included. The hedgerow bank is included in the scheduling since it will contain material from the substance of the barrow.

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:

22040

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Isle of Wight archaeological index, (1979)
Grinsell, , Sherwin, , Proceedings of the I.O.W. Nat History and Archaeological Soc in Procedings of the I.O.W. Nat History and Archaeological Soc, Vol. 3, (1940), 181,209

Other
Title: County Council 6" Map Source Date: 1951 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Tomalin, Dr D,

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