Reasons for Designation
Saucer barrows are funerary monuments of the Early Bronze Age, most examples
dating to between 1800 and l200 BC. They occur either in isolation or in
barrow cemeteries (closely-spaced groups of round barrows). They were
constructed as a circular area of level ground defined by a bank and internal
ditch and largely occupied by a single low, squat mound covering one or more
burials, usually in a pit. The burials, either inhumations or cremations, are
sometimes accompanied by pottery vessels, tools and personal ornaments. Saucer
barrows are one of the rarest recognised forms of round barrow, with about 60
known examples nationally, most of which are in Wessex. The presence of grave
goods within the barrows provides important evidence for chronological and
cultural links amongst prehistoric communities over a wide area of southern
England as well as providing an insight into their beliefs and social
organisation. As a rare and fragile form of round barrow, all identified
saucer barrows would normally be considered to be of national importance.
Bowl barrows are the most numerous form of round barrow and date 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. 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 are particularly representative of their period. A substantial proportion
of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.
Although they show signs of past, part excavation and have been partly damaged
by scrub growth, the saucer barrow and bowl barrow 600m north west of Lewes
Prison survive comparatively well and will contain contemporary archaeological
and environmental remains. The saucer barrow is one of only very few recorded
in the south east.
Details
The monument includes a saucer barrow and a bowl barrow, the southerly pair of
a NNW-SSE aligned group of three round barrows situated on a ridge of the
Sussex Downs. The northern one of the two saucer barrow with a low central
mound c.20m in diameter and up to 0.5m high. This has a generally uneven
surface and a central hollow indicating past, part excavation. The mound is
surrounded by a shallow ditch from which material used to construct the barrow
was excavated. The ditch has become partly infilled over the years but
survives as a visible depression c.3m wide and around 0.4m deep. Surrounding
the ditch is a low bank 4m wide and up to 0.2m high.
Ten metres to the south east is a bowl barrow with a low, roughly circular
uneven mound c.25m in diameter, surviving to a height of up to 0.5m. This is
surrounded by an infilled ditch c.2m wide. The barrow shows signs of past,
part excavation in the form of a large central hollow.
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.
