Round cairn, 750m north west of Bellion Farm

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.

Despite some damage by antiquarian excavation, the round cairn near Bellion Farm retains significant archaeological deposits. The importance of the monument is enhanced by the survival of other cairns in the vicinity which taken together will contribute to any study of Bronze Age settlement and activity in the area.

Details

The monument includes the remains of a round cairn of Bronze Age date situated on a slight rise on the left bank of the River Font. The cairn, constructed of river cobbles and earth, has been partly excavated at its centre and its overall diameter has become spread to a maximum of 32m. It stands to a maximum height of 1.5m around the edges. The cairn was excavated in 1826 when a cist or stone coffin with a water worn stone lid was recovered which contained the remains of a burial. The present location of the cist is unknown.

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:

25177

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Trevelyan, WC, Archaeologia Aeliana 1 ser 2 in Archaeologia Aeliana 1 ser 2, (1832), 207-8

Other
NZ 09 SE 03,

End of official list entry

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