Reasons for Designation
Cairnfields are concentrations of cairns sited in close proximity to one
another. They often consist largely of clearance cairns, built with stone
cleared from the surrounding landsurface to improve its use for agriculture,
and on occasion their distribution pattern can be seen to define field plots.
However, funerary cairns are also frequently incorporated, although without
excavation it may be impossible to determine which cairns contain burials.
Clearance cairns were constructed from the Neolithic period (from c.3400 BC),
although the majority of examples appear to be the result of field clearance
which began during the earlier Bronze Age and continued into the later Bronze
Age (2000-700 BC). The considerable longevity and variation in the size,
content and associations of cairnfields provide important information on the
development of land use and agricultural practices. Cairnfields also retain
information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation during the
prehistoric period.
Details
The monument includes a prehistoric cairnfield at the south edge of the upland
plateau of Ravock, Bowes Moor, 600m south east of Ravock Castle. It is 200m
west of a larger cairnfield which is the subject of a separate scheduling on
the same plateau.
The cairnfield consists of at least ten cairns and two rubble banks. The
cairns are concentrated towards the south edge of the cairnfield, along the
lip of the plateau. The two rubble banks are north of this, forming two sides
of a rectangle. The cairns are between 2m and 5m in diameter and typically
0.5m high. The banks are typically 2m wide and 0.2m high. The combination of
small cairns and linear banks indicates that this complex is the remains of a
prehistoric field system.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
31820
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
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.
End of official list entry
