Two round cairns 590m and 610m east of Burn Brae

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.

The round cairns 590m and 610m east of Burn Brae survive well and retain significant archaeological deposits. They form part of a wider grouping of prehistoric monuments and will contribute to our knowledge of Bronze Age funerary and ritual activity in the area.

Details

The monument includes the remains of two round cairns of Bronze Age date, situated on level ground on the right bank of the Whitton Burn. The monument is contained within two separate areas of protection. The round cairns are part of a larger grouping of cairns, cup marked rocks, a standing stone and a medieval sheep farm which are the subjects of separate schedulings. The most southerly of the two cairns measures 11m in diameter and stands to a maximum height of 13m. At the centre of the cairn there is a large hollow, the remains of partial excavation during the 19th century. The second, and most northerly cairn, which lies 22m NNE of the first, is 9.5m in diameter and stands to a maximum height of 1m. Several large stones set into the perimeter of the cairn are interpreted as the remains of a retaining circle.

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:

32725

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
NZ09NE 17,

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