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.
Saucer barrows date to the Early Bronze Age, most examples falling between
1800 and 1200BC. They are one of rarest forms of round barrow with about 60
examples known nationally, most of which are in Wessex. Bowl barrows, by
contrast, are one of the most numerous forms of round barrow, and date from
the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most examples dating to
between 2400-1500BC.
The bowl barrow and two saucer barrows on Petersfield Heath Common 440m south
east of the Club House survive reasonably well despite some later disturbance.
These and the other barrows in the group can be expected to retain important
archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the cemetery and
the environment in which it was constructed.
Details
The monument includes a bowl barrow and two saucer barrows, all of Late
Neolithic to Bronze Age date, situated on a low ridge on Petersfield Heath
Common, between Heath Pond and Heath Road East. It forms part of a round
barrow cemetery east of Heath Pond, known as the Petersfield Heath Group. Now
comprising 21 barrows, a first edition Ordnance Survey map dated to 1810
indicates that this round barrow cemetery was formerly more extensive,
including further barrows situated to the north and east, now destroyed by
modern housing.
The bowl barrow is located on the crest of the ridge. It includes a flat-
topped mound, roughly circular in shape, which stands approximately 1.6m high
and is 26m in diameter. There is no visible trace of an outer quarry ditch,
although this will survive as a buried feature approximately 2m wide. The two
saucer barrows lie 25m to the north east on the gentle northern slope of the
ridge. Both have been almost levelled by the modern construction and use of a
golfcourse fairway but survive as faint earthwork features. Both barrows are
of similar dimensions and include a low, circular central mound, approximately
0.1m high and 4.5m in diameter, surrounded by a partly infilled ditch, 2m-3m
wide and 0.1m deep. They are situated 13m apart.
Four steel marker posts set into and around the ditch of the eastern saucer
barrow 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.
