Bowl barrow 300m east of Furze Knoll

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 records of disturbance by flint-digging on the site and cultivation over many years, much of the Furze Knoll barrow remains intact and has significant archaeological potential. The significance of the monument is enhanced by the fact that numerous other round barrows survive in the area as well as additional evidence for contemporary settlement. This illustrates the intensity with which the area was settled during the Bronze Age period.

Details

The monument includes a bowl barrow set below the crest of a steep north-facing slope, 100m south of the Wansdyke. The barrow mound survives as a low earthwork, 0.2m high and with a diameter of 17m. Although no longer visible as an earthwork, a ditch from which the mound material was quarried, surrounds the mound. This has filled in over time and now survives as a buried feature, traces of which appear on the surface as a ring of darker earth 4m wide.

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:

12170

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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