Two bowl barrows 640m north of Squibbs Farm

Reasons for Designation

Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them, contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

Despite the possibility of some disturbance by Antiquarian excavation and vehicles, the two bowl barrows 640m north of Squibbs Farm survive well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed.

Details

The monument includes two bowl barrows, aligned north east to south west, situated on a ridge known as Pallington Clump overlooking the Piddle Valley to the south. The barrows form part of a group of six which, together, form a round barrow cemetery on the northern part of Pallington Heath. The barrows each have a mound composed of earth, sand and turf, with maximum dimensions of between 13m-15m in diameter and between c.0.75m-1m in height. The barrow mounds each have a hollow in the centre; these were recorded by The Royal Commission for Historic Monuments in 1952 and both could relate to undated Antiquarian excavations. Each mound is surrounded by a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. The ditches are visible as earthworks 3m wide and c.0.35m deep.

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:

28344

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
RCHME, National Monuments Record,
Mention survey by RCHME in 1952, RCHME, National Monuments Record,
Mention slit trenches on mound, RCHME, National Monuments Record,

End of official list entry

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