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 bowl barrow situated on Arne Hill in the Isle of
Purbeck, overlooking the surrounding heathland and Poole Harbour to the
north east.
The barrow has a mound composed of earth, sand and turf with a maximum
diameter of 25m and a maximum height of c.2.5m. The top of the mound has two
small trenches likely to represent World War II dug-outs. Both are square
in plan with dimensions of 1.5m by 1.5m and a maximum depth of c.0.5m. There
are also two linear trenches with dimensions of between 6m-8m in length, 1m in
width and c.0.5m in depth running east from the northern dug-out in the centre
of the mound.
Surrounding the mound is a ditch from which material was quarried during the
construction of the monument. This survives as an earthwork 3m wide and
c.0.75m deep and is flanked by an outer bank 2.25m wide and c.0.5m high.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
28301
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
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
