Bronze Age and Anglo-Saxon barrow cemeteries south of Juggs Road

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.

Round barrow cemeteries of the Bronze Age (2000 - 700bc) comprise closely- spaced groups of round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases, as with this monument, they acted as a focus for later burials. They exhibit considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier long barrows. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a marked concentration in Wessex. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape.

Only around 40 Anglo-Saxon barrow cemeteries are known nationally. They comprise groups of small round mounds of earth and redeposited bedrock constructed over primary burials of Anglo-Saxon date. The burials are usually inhumations placed in graves dug into the underlying subsoil and covered with the burial mound, sometimes with a surrounding ditch. They are typically found on the crest or false crest of a hill, often on spurs. Barrow cemeteries have been interpreted as burial places for people of high status. Both Bronze Age and Anglo-Saxon barrows are sometimes associated with flat- grave cemeteries. Where large-scale investigations have been undertaken, Bronze Age "flat" graves have been revealed between and around Bronze Age round barrows. Similarly, Anglo-Saxon barrow cemeteries are sometimes associated with "flat" graves and are also found at the edges of Anglo-Saxon flat-grave cemeteries. The Bronze Age and the Anglo-Saxon barrow cemeteries south of Juggs Road are well preserved examples of their kind and will contain important archaeological remains and enviromental evidence relating to their development and use and the landscape in which they were constructed.

Details

The monument is situated near the crest of a hill and includes four Bronze Age bowl barrows, one oval mound and at least eighteen smaller burial mounds of Anglo-Saxon date. The largest and most visible of the four bowl barrows includes a mound approximately 1m high and 13m in diameter encircled by a now infilled quarry ditch. The mound has a central hollow which is likely to be the remains of a small excavation trench. The other three bowl barrows have mounds about 0.5m high and 10m in diameter encircled by now infilled quarry ditches. The Anglo-Saxon barrows are circular or sub-rectangular bowl-shaped mounds, generally ranging from about 3m - 5m in diameter and 0.3m - 0.5m in height. No ditches are visible , although these may exist as infilled, below-ground features. The oval mound, approximately 9m long, 5m wide and 0.5m high, may also date to this period.

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:

23602

Legacy System:

RSM

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