Round cairn on Inn Moor, 290m south west of Beacon Farm

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.

Despite limited disturbance, the round cairn on Inn Moor, 290m south west of Beacon Farm has survived well. Information about the original form of the cairn and the burials placed within it will be preserved. Evidence for earlier land use and the contemporary environment will also survive beneath the mound. The cairn was originally among a group of at least twelve burial monuments distributed across the south eastern part of Suffield Moor. Such clusters provide important insight into the development of ritual and funerary practice during the prehistoric period.

Details

The monument includes a round cairn situated in a prominent position at the top of the eastern scarp edge of the Hackness Hills. The cairn has a well-defined stony mound which stands up to 0.6m high and measures 5m in diameter. In the centre of the mound there is a hollow which is the result of partial excavation in the past. The cairn lies in an area where there are many other prehistoric burial monuments.

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:

34553

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Title: Forestry Commission Areas North York Moors Archaeological Survey Source Date: 1992 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:

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