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 includes two bowl barrows and a saucer barrow on the summit of
Picquet Hill, an Upper Chalk promontory of Salisbury Plain with extensive
views northwards over the village of Edington and the low lying vale beyond.
The three barrows are aligned south west to north east. The saucer barrow lies
to the south west, partially overlying the central bowl barrow, while the
barrow to the north east stands slightly apart.
The mound of the north eastern bowl barrow is 0.7m high and has a diameter of
11m. It is surrounded by a ditch up to 0.2m deep and 3.7m wide, from which
material was quarried during its construction.
The mound of the central barrow is 0.7m high and 9.3m wide and is surrounded
by a quarry ditch 1.5m wide and 0.1m deep. The south western side of the mound
and ditch are overlain by the external bank and ditch of the saucer barrow to
the south west. This barrow has been disturbed by chalk digging. The area
enclosed by the ditch, which originally comprised a low mound and berm, is now
uneven and consists of hollows and small mounds interpreted as holes dug for
chalk and their associated spoil heaps. The saucer barrow is 18.4m in diameter
and up to 0.8m high, although this may represent the height of the spoil heaps
rather than the original height of the mound. The surrounding quarry ditch is
4m wide and up to 0.3m deep. This has been infilled to the south by chalk
diggers but will survive as a buried feature. A bank which lies outside the
ditch survives to the south and west measuring 4m wide and up to 0.4m high.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
31699
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
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
