Reasons for Designation
Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise
closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds
covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a
considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as
a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit
considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including
several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier
long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them,
contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been
revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a
marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other
important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent
locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst
their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important
information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early
prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period
and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection.
Details
This monument includes a bowl barrow situated on a high and prominent upland
ridge which acts as the watershed between valleys of tributaries to the River
Lyd, the River Burn and the River Lumburn. This bowl barrow forms an outlier
to a round barrow cemetery at Heathfield, nine other components of which lie
to the east and south east and are the subject of separate schedulings. The
monument also straddles a parish boundary.
The monument includes a circular mound which measures 22m in diameter and up
to 0.7m high. Surrounding the mound is the quarry ditch from which material
to construct the mound was derived. This is traceable on the ground and
measures up to a maximum of 4.4m wide and 0.1m deep.
The mound is largely flat-topped, albeit slightly uneven in appearance with
steep sides. Some animal scrapes reveal that the mound is composed of dark
gritty loam and small stones. On the western side is a depression which
measures up to 2m wide and 0.1m deep which may represent an old excavation
trench.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
34282
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
