Reasons for Designation
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments
dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most
examples belonging to the period 2400-1500 BC. They were constructed as
earthen or rubble mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple
burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as cemeteries and often
acted as a focus for burials in later periods. Often superficially similar,
although differing widely in size, they exhibit regional variations in form
and a diversity of burial practices. There are over 10,000 surviving bowl
barrows recorded nationally (many more have already been destroyed), occurring
across most of lowland Britain. Often occupying prominent locations, they are
a major historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable
variation of form and longevity as a monument type provide important
information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisations amongst early
prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period
and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of
protection.
Details
The monument falls into two areas of protection and includes a south
west-north east aligned pair of bowl barrows situated on a chalk hill
immediately behind one of the Seven Sisters cliffs on the Sussex coast. The
larger of the two barrows lies to the south west and has a circular mound
approximately 10m in diameter and 0.5m high. Surrounding the mound is likely
to be a ditch from which material used to construct the barrow was excavated.
This has become infilled over the years and will survive as a buried feature
around 2m wide. Lying around 145m to the north east, the smaller barrow has a
mound measuring 0.5m in diameter and 0.6m high, surrounded by an approximately
1m wide buried quarry ditch.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
31420
Legacy System:
RSM
End of official list entry
