Reasons for Designation
Cairnfields are concentrations of cairns sited in close proximity to one
another. They often consist largely of clearance cairns, built with stone
cleared from the surrounding landsurface to improve its use for agriculture,
and on occasion their distribution pattern can be seen to define field plots.
However, funerary cairns are also frequently incorporated, although without
excavation it may be impossible to determine which cairns contain burials.
Clearance cairns were constructed from the Neolithic period (from c.3400 BC),
although the majority of examples appear to be the result of field clearance
which began during the earlier Bronze Age and continued into the later Bronze
Age (2000-700 BC). The considerable longevity and variation in the size,
content and associations of cairnfields provide important information on the
development of land use and agricultural practices. Cairnfields also retain
information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation during the
prehistoric period.
Details
The monument includes a cairnfield which is situated on a gentle south facing
slope, on the Middle Jurassic sandstone towards the eastern edge of the North
York Moors.
The cairnfield consists of at least eight cairns which lie between the 190m
and 200m contours. The cairns are generally sub-circular mounds constructed
from small and medium sized stones. Most cairns are between 3m and 5m in
diameter. They stand between 0.3m and 0.6m high. The majority are field
clearance cairns which are the result of clearing the ground to improve it for
agriculture, but some of the larger cairns were also used as burial mounds.
The monument is situated in an area where there are many other prehistoric
monuments, including further cairnfields, burials and ritual sites.
The field boundary wall which runs along the eastern edge of the monument is
excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath it is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
34676
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
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
