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 a small Bronze Age bowl barrow situated on the tip of
Beacon Hill, a pronounced spur which commands wide views over the Vale of
Aylesbury to the north and along the Chiltern escarpment to the east and west.
The barrow mound is roughly circular, measuring c.12m diameter and up to 0.7m
in height. The ground surface falls away sharply from the edge of the mound on
all but the southern side and, as there are no indications of an encircling
ditch, it is thought to have been constructed using topsoil and chalk scraped
from the surrounding hillside. In the centre of the mound is a conical
depression, c.5m wide across the top, which is believed to have resulted from
the removal of a flagstaff which stood here in the last century and, perhaps,
from its further use as a gun emplacement during World War II. The barrow was
partially excavated by a local antiquarian in 1855-6, revealing fragments of a
ceramic urn, charcoal, bone and a horse's tooth. Further fragments of early
Bronze Age pottery with impressed decoration were discovered near the mound in
1973.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
27141
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
