Reasons for Designation
A ring cairn is a prehistoric ritual monument comprising a circular bank of
stones up to 20m in diameter surrounding a hollow central area. The bank may
be kerbed on the inside, and sometimes on the outside as well, with small
uprights or laid boulders. Ring cairns are found mainly in upland areas of
England and are mostly discovered and authenticated by fieldwork and ground
level survey, although a few are large enough to be visible on aerial
photographs. They often occur in pairs or small groups of up to four examples.
Occasionally they lie within round barrow cemeteries. Ring cairns are
interpreted as ritual monuments of Early and Middle Bronze Age date. The exact
nature of the rituals concerned is not fully understood, but excavation has
revealed pits, some containing burials and others containing charcoal and
pottery, taken to indicate feasting activities associated with the burial
rituals. Many areas of upland have not yet been surveyed in detail and the
number of ring cairns in England is not accurately known. However, available
evidence indicates a population of between 250 and 500 examples. As a
relatively rare class of monument exhibiting considerable variation in form,
all positively identified examples retaining significant archaeological
deposits are considered worthy of preservation.
Details
The monument includes a ring cairn, situated on Harden Moor, on level ground
310m north of Woodhead.
The cairn is about 13m in overall diameter. It consists of a circular
heather-covered bank approximately 2.5m wide and attaining a maximum height
of 0.4m. There are orthostats forming a kerb on the inside edge of the bank,
and a possible outer kerb is formed by well-embedded recumbent stones,
about 0.5m across. These stones are most visible on the east side. On the west
side a short stretch of bank has been disturbed and there are two earth mounds
protruding 5m from the inner kerb. These may relate to an excavation in 1959
which recovered prehistoric pottery. A small hole 0.5m wide near the centre of
the cairn may also relate to this excavation.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
31487
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
