Disc barrow 460m south of the Club House on Petersfield Heath Common, part of the Petersfield Heath Group

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.

Disc barrows, the most fragile type of round barrow, date mostly to the period 1400-1200BC, the Early Bronze Age. They are rare nationally with about 250 known examples, most of which are in Wessex. The disc barrow on Petersfield Heath Common 460m south of the Club House survives well despite some later disturbance, and is unusual in having its ditch outside the bank rather than inside. This 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 disc barrow of Bronze Age date, prominently situated on the crest of 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 disc barrow includes a flat central platform, circular in shape, raised approximately 0.15m and with a diameter of 11m. Unusually, it is surrounded by a bank, approximately 4.5m wide and 0.3m high, and a partly infilled outer ditch, 3.5m wide and 0.15m deep. A shallow depression in the centre of the platform is indicative of damage caused by later excavation, possibly the source of a number of worked pieces of flint reportedly recovered from this barrow.

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:

32538

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L V, Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club in Hampshire Barrows, Vol. 14, (1940), 356
Minty, G P, Archaeological Journal in Archaeological Journal, Vol. 13, (1856), 412

Other
Piggott, Stuart, (1930)

End of official list entry

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