Round barrow on Gerrick Moor, 690m south west of Osborne House

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.

Unlike many barrows in this area the barrow 690m south west of Osborne House has not been excavated and despite limited animal disturbance it survives well. The archaeological deposits will be in a good state of preservation and evidence for the date and original form of the barrow and the burials placed within it will be preserved. Evidence for earlier land use will survive beneath the barrow mound. The barrow is situated within a group of monuments which includes a cross ridge dyke, a pair of hut circles and further burial monuments. Such groupings of monuments offer important scope for the study of the distribution of prehistoric activity across the landscape.

Details

The monument includes a round barrow situated on a north facing slope at the top of a ridge on the north edge of the North York Moors. The barrow has an earthen mound 17m in diameter and standing up to 1.1m high. Unlike many other barrows in this area the mound has not been excavated. The barrow lies in an area rich in prehistoric monuments, including further barrows, field systems and clearance cairns.

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:

32001

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Vyner, B E, CBA Research Report 101: Moorland Monuments in The Brides Of Place: Cross-Ridge Boundaries Reviewed, Vol. 101, (1995)

Other
0433,

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