A saucer barrow and a bowl barrow 600m north west of Lewes Prison: the southerly pair of a group of three round barrows

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.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

27021

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
RCHME, TQ 31 SE 59,
RCHME, TQ 31 SW 59,

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