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 having been reduced in height by cultivation over the last 50 years,
the bowl barrow on Barter's Hill survives as a recognisable earthwork and will
contain archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the
monument and the landscape in which it was built.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow, known as Barter's Hill barrow, located on
the east facing slope of Barter's Hill, 525m north of Barter's Hill Farm. The
barrow has a stony mound 28m in diameter and 0.2m high. This is known to have
stood 0.7m high in 1940 and would originally have measured at least 1m high.
Surrounding the mound, but no longer visible at ground level is a 3m wide
quarry ditch from which material was obtained during the construction of the
monument. This has become infilled over the years but survives as a buried
feature. 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:
28118
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Mudd, A, Round Barrows of the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, (1983)Other PRN 2290, C.A.O., Barters Hill Round Barrow, (1984) Title: Ordnance Survey 1:10000
Source Date: 1980
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:
SP 32 SW
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.
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