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 limited disturbance, the round barrow on Ebberston Low Moor, 200m
north west of Ebberston Common House, has survived well. Significant
information about the original form of the barrow and the burials placed
within it will be preserved. Evidence for earlier land use and the
contemporary environment will also survive beneath the barrow mound.
The barrow is situated close to a complex of pit alignments in an area which
also includes many other burial monuments. The relationships between these
monuments are important for understanding the division and use of the
landscape for social, ritual and agricultural purposes during the later
prehistoric period.
Details
The monument includes a round barrow which is situated on level ground,
towards the northern scarp edge of the Tabular Hills.
The barrow has an earth and stone mound which stands up to 0.6m high. Formerly
it had a diameter of 13m, but ploughing has truncated the western edge so that
now the mound measures only 10m in an east to west direction. Originally the
mound would have been surrounded by a kerb of stones which defined the barrow.
However, over the years many of these stones have been taken away or buried by
soil slipping off the mound and they are no longer visible, although a few can
be seen on the western edge where they have been dislodged by ploughing. The
line of an old excavation trench is visible as a shallow depression running
across the mound in a north west to south east direction. The protected area
includes the whole of the area of the original barrow mound and encircling
kerb.
The barrow lies in an area which has many other prehistoric monuments,
including further burials and the remains of prehistoric land division.
A fence line runs east to west past the northern edge of the barrow mound: all
fence posts are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them
is included.
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.
