Reasons for Designation
Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age
(c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as stone mounds covering single or
multiple burials. These burials may be placed within the mound in stone-lined
compartments called cists. In some cases the cairn was surrounded by a ditch.
Often occupying prominent locations, cairns are a major visual element in the
modern landscape. They are a relatively common feature of the uplands and are
the stone equivalent of the earthen round barrows of the lowlands. Their
considerable variation in form and longevity as a monument type provide
important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation
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 round cairn located on a small hillside plateau on
Birkrigg Common, 600m north west of High Sunbrick Farm. It includes a turf
covered slightly oval-shaped mound of limestone rubble measuring 15m east-west
by 14m north-south and up to 0.8m high. At the centre of the cairn there is a
small disturbed area indicating the position of an unrecorded investigation of
the monument. Within this area of disturbance there are two upright limestone
slabs which formed part of the cist or stone chamber within which an
inhumation burial would have been placed.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
27691
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
