Two bowl barrows 400m north-west of Janesmoor Pond

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.

Despite partial excavation of the northern barrow mound, much of the monument remains intact and therefore has considerable archaeological potential.

Details

The monument includes two bowl barrows set on a flat area of open New Forest heathland. The barrows are aligned north-south and separated by a distance of c.40m. The northern of the two barrows survives to a diameter of 23.5m, is 2.2m high and surrounded by a seasonally waterfilled ditch 3.2m wide and 0.5m deep. It was partially excavated in 1943 and produced a cremation buried beneath a turf mound capped by gravel. A concrete and brick structure 1m deep and built into the centre of the barrow mound is excluded from the monument. The southern mound is less distinct having been partially damaged by construction of an airfield. The mound has a diameter of c.16m and is 0.2m high. Surrounding the mound and surviving as a buried feature, is a silted ditch c.3m wide.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

12127

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Piggott, C M, Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society in , Vol. 9, (1943), 22

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