Cairn and cist 425m north of Hen Tor

Reasons for Designation

Dartmoor is the largest expanse of open moorland in southern Britain and, because of exceptional conditions of preservation, it is also one of the most complete examples of an upland relict landscape in the whole country. The great wealth and diversity of archaeological remains provide direct evidence for human exploitation of the Moor from the early prehistoric period onwards. The well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement sites, major land boundaries, trackways, ceremonial and funerary monuments as well as later industrial remains, gives significant insights into successive changes in the pattern of land use through time. Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds, the latter predominating in areas of upland Britain where such raw materials were locally available in abundance. Round cairns may cover single or multiple burials and are sometimes surrounded by an outer ditch. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major visual element in the modern landscape. 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. Dartmoor provides one of the best preserved and most dense concentrations of round cairns in south- western Britain.

The round cairn and cist 425m north of Hen Tor survive well, form part of a discrete group of cairns and are known from partial excavation to contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. This monument forms part of a well preserved, extensive and complex archaeological landscape.

Details

This monument includes a round cairn containing a cist, forming part of a complex multi-period archaeological landscape on the north western slope of Hen Tor overlooking the valley of the River Plym. The cairn mound is situated on a small natural promontory, measures 4m in diameter, stands up to 0.6m high and has been excavated to reveal a cist orientated north east to south west. The interior of the cist measures 1.2m long, 0.75m wide and 0.2m deep. Further archaeological features within the vicinity of this monument are the subjects of other schedulings. This monument is in the care of the Secretary of State.

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:

24220

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, (1994), 147
Fitch, T, The Dartmoor Newsletter in Hentor Warren Cists, Vol. 25, (1995), 4

Other
Thackray, C., The Upper Plym Valley: The management of an historic landscape, 1994, Archaeological Site Inventory
MPP fieldwork by S. Gerrard, (1995)

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