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 the remains of a round cairn of Bronze Age date situated
on a slight rise between the River Font and one of its tributaries, the
Ewesley Burn. The cairn, constructed of stone and earth, which has become
spread, measures 28m in diameter and stands to a maximum height of 1.2m. It is
thought that an encircling ditch survives beneath the spread cairn material.
The cairn was subject to an antiquarian part excavation in 1828 which
uncovered a cist or stone coffin near its centre orientated east to west. It
contained the remains of teeth and fragments of bone which represent the
remains of a burial, but the location of these is no longer known.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
25175
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
