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 two adjacent bowl barrows orientated SE-NW and set on a
gentle east-facing slope above the head of the Kennet valley. The southern
barrow mound is 32m in diameter and stands to a height of 2m while the
northern mound is 38m across and 2.5m high. Both mounds were partially
excavated by Merewether in 1849. Finds from the southern mound included a
primary cremation burial as well as later Saxon inhumations, one with a knife,
three earthenware beads and a metal box with chain. The northern mound
included a cremation burial in a tree-trunk coffin containing a bronze dagger
with three rivets.
Although no longer visible at ground level, a ditch from which material was
quarried during construction of the monument, surrounds both mounds. This has
become infilled over the years but survives as a buried feature c.3m wide.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
12351
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
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
