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.
The bowl barrow 440m south east of Chanctonbury Ring survives comparatively
well, despite part disturbance by modern agricultural activities and will
contain archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the ways
in which the monument was constructed and used.
The monument forms part of a group of prehistoric, Roman and early medieval
earthworks situated on Chanctonbury Hill, including a hillfort, Romano-Celtic
temple, two cross dykes and a number of round barrows and hlaews or Saxon
barrows, which are the subjects of separate schedulings. The close association
of these monuments will provide important evidence for the changing
relationships between ceremonial and burial practices and land division in
this area of downland over a period of c.1,500 years.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow situated on a chalk ridge which forms part
of the Sussex Downs. The barrow has a roughly circular mound c.16m in diameter
and up to 0.5m high with a large central hollow, indicating antiquarian part
excavation during the 18th or 19th centuries. The mound is surrounded by a
ditch from which material used to construct the barrow was excavated. This has
become infilled over the years, but survives as a buried feature c.2m wide.
The ditch has been partly disturbed on its north western side by the siting of
a modern storage tank.
The modern fences which cross the monument and the footings and structure of
the storage tank are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath
them is included.
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.