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.
Details
The monument includes Ribden Low bowl barrow located on the summit of Ribden
Hill. It survives as a slightly mutilated oval earthen mound up to 1.8m high
with maximum dimensions of 31m by 27m. Limited antiquarian investigation of
the barrow's centre located a large flat capstone over a drywalled cist. This
cist contained a contracted inhumation, a flint knife and two barbed and
tanged arrowheads. Adjacent to the cist was a pit 0.6m deep dug into the old
landsurface. The pit was paved with flat stones and contained a cremation,
two flints and five bone artefacts. Burnt bones, pottery, two small pieces of
bronze and a flint were also found during the investigation. A post and wire
fence aligned north-west/south-east crossing the centre of the mound is
excluded from the scheduling. Also excluded is an Ordnance Survey
triangulation pillar on the barrow's summit. The ground beneath these
features, however, is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
13596
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
