Reasons for Designation
Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age
(c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as stone mounds covering single or
multiple burials. These burials may be placed within the mound in stone-lined
compartments called cists. In some cases the cairn was surrounded by a ditch.
Often occupying prominent locations, cairns are a major visual element in the
modern landscape. They are a relatively common feature of the uplands and are
the stone equivalent of the earthen round barrows of the lowlands. 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. Despite unrecorded limited disturbance to the centre of the monument, White
Lyne round cairn survives reasonably well and will contain undisturbed
archaeological deposits within the mound and upon the old landsurface beneath.
The cairn lies close to other prehistoric monuments around Bewcastle, thus
indicating the importance of this area in prehistoric times and the diversity
of monument classes to be found here.
Details
The monument includes White Lyne round cairn located 60m NNW of the confluence
of Gate Grain and White Lyne. It includes a heather covered circular mound of
stones measuring 7m in diameter and up to 0.8m high. Unrecorded disturbance at
the centre of the cairn has revealed a rectangular flat stone slab measuring
approximately 0.6m by 0.5m identified as the cist cover which would have
originally covered a burial. 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:
27797
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other Darvill,T., MPP Single Monument Class Description - Bowl Barrows, (1988)
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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