Reasons for Designation
Disc barrows, the most fragile type of round barrow, are funerary monuments of
the Early Bronze Age, with most examples dating to the period 1400-1200 BC.
They occur either in isolation or in barrow cemeteries (closely-spaced groups
of round barrows). Disc barrows were constructed as a circular or oval area of
level ground defined by a bank and internal ditch and containing one or more
centrally or eccentrically located small, low mounds covering burials, usually
in pits. The burials, normally cremations, are frequently accompanied by
pottery vessels, tools and personal ornaments. It has been suggested that disc
barrows were normally used for the burial of women, although this remains
unproven. However, it is likely that the individuals buried were of high
status. Disc barrows are rare nationally, with about 250 known examples, most
of which are in Wessex. Their richness in terms of grave goods 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 particularly rare and
fragile form of round barrow, all identified disc barrows would normally be
considered to be of national importance.
Details
The monument includes a disc barrow located towards the northern end of
Salthouse Heath, within a dispersed barrow cemetery which extends over an area
of c.1.3 sq km. The barrow is visible as a small earthen mound standing
offset on the eastern side of a circular platform which is surrounded and
defined by a ditch and the remains of an external ring bank. The mound
measures c.0.5m in height and covers a circular area c.8m in diameter, and
the platform on which it stands measures c.12m in diameter. The encircling
ditch from which earth was dug and used in the construction of the barrow, has
become partly infilled, but is marked by a slight hollow c.2m wide in the
ground surface. The bank which encloses the whole is most clearly defined on
the west side of the monument, where it stands to a height of c.0.2m and
measures c.5m in width at the base. The overall diameter of the barrow is
c.26m.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
21368
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
