Three round barrows 320m south west of Trelagossick

Reasons for Designation

Round barrows 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 mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as cemeteries and often acted as a focus of 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 examples recorded nationally (many more have already been destroyed), occurring across most of Britain, including the Wessex area where it is often possible to classify them more closely, for example as bowl or bell barrows. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable variation in 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.

The three round barrows 320m south west of Trelagossick survive reasonably well. Despite reduction of the mounds and infilling of the external ditches by ploughing, and disturbance of the top of the north eastern barrow, the mounds remain substantially intact. The underlying old land surfaces, and any original deposits associated with the mounds, the old land surfaces, and the bases of the ditches, will also remain. The location on a ridge top illustrates well the important role of topography in Bronze Age funerary activity.

Details

The scheduling includes three prehistoric round barrows situated on a slight south west slope on the crest of a spur between two streams north of Veryan. The barrows are very closely spaced and form an alignment north east-south west, formerly bisected by a medieval type field boundary between the north eastern and central barrows. The barrow to the north east has an earth and stone mound visible on the ground some 15m in diameter and 0.5m high; however aerial photographs reveal the barrow's greater extent defined by a buried external ditch about 3m wide and giving an overall diameter of approximately 28m. Aerial photographs also show a cropmark a few metres across in the centre of the mound, considered to represent a buried hollow or trench resulting from an antiquarian excavation. The central barrow has an earth and stone mound visible on the ground some 18m in diameter and 0.5m high, with similar evidence from aerial photographs for a buried external ditch about 3m wide, giving an overall diameter of approximately 30m. The south western barrow has an earth and stone mound visible on the ground some 19m in diameter and 0.6m high, again shown by aerial photographs to have a buried external ditch about 3m wide, giving an overall diameter of approximately 26m.

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:

32932

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Title: Cornwall Mapping Project Source Date: 1996 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map Source Date: 1907 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map Source Date: 1880 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Title: Veryan Tithe Apportionment Source Date: 1840 Author: Publisher: Surveyor: 896, 897
SW 94 SW 3, Quinnell, NV, Ordnance Survey Index Card, (1977)
SW 94 SW 3, Quinnell, N, Ordnance Survey Index Card, (1977)

End of official list entry

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