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. Despite part excavation of the barrow mounds, much of the monument remains
intact and therefore has considerable archaeological potential.
Details
The monument includes two bowl barrows set on the crest of a steep north-
facing slope at the east end of Compton Down. The barrows, which survive as
low earthworks, are orientated north-south and are separated by a distance of
c.10m. The northern barrow mound survives in permanent grassland to a maximum
diameter of 20m and is 0.8m high. When previously under cultivation, the
mound appeared as a chalky spread with a quantity of loose flints towards the
centre. The southern mound survives in an area of scrub. It is 22m in
diameter and c.0.7m high. Both mounds are surrounded by ditches c.3m wide and
surviving as buried features and both have central hollows suggesting
part excavation in the last century. MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
12121
Legacy System:
RSM
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