Round barrow 330m south of Oldfields

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.

Despite its later modification, the round barrow 330m south of Oldfields survives well. It is a rare example of a prehistoric funerary monument surviving in an area where other examples have been levelled by the plough. The barrow mound will retain evidence for its method of construction as well as the burials within it. These remains will advance our understanding of Bronze Age society, including the ritual practices and technical abilities of these people. The accumulated ditch fills will preserve environmental evidence for the activities which took place at the site, during the construction of the barrow and its subsequent use. In addition, the buried ground surface beneath the mound will preserve evidence for the landscape in which the barrow was built.

Details

The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a Bronze Age round barrow situated on a gradual south facing slope in an area of gently undulating land. The barrow mound is constructed of earth and is roughly circular, measuring approximately 18m in diameter at its base. It has a flat top, measuring 7m by 9m, which may be the result of later modification. In relation to the sloping ground on which it stands, its height increases from 1.6m to 2m. Although no longer visible at ground level, a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the barrow surrounds the mound. This has become infilled over the years but will survive as a buried feature, approximately 3m wide. Immediately to the south of the mound is a crescent-shaped pit, of probable modern date, which cuts the base of the mound and part of the surrounding ditch.

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:

33831

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Heywood-Lonsdale, TC, (2000)

End of official list entry

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