Round cairn, 280m SSE of Sandyway Heads

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.

The cairn near Sandyway Heads is reasonably well preserved and retains significant archaeological deposits. The importance of the monument is enhanced by the survival of contemporary funerary and settlement monuments in the immediate 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 the edge of a scarp commanding fine views to the south and east. The cairn, constructed of stone and earth, has a diameter of 16m and and stands to a maximum height of 1.5m. During the 19th century several Bronze Age objects were discovered in this area including fragments of two bronze shields and a small Bronze Age axe. These items are probably associated with the builders of the cairn.

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:

25182

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Hope-Dodds, M, The Victoria History of the County of Northumberland: Volume XII, (1940)

Other
NZ 07 SW 11,

End of official list entry

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