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. The round cairn on Pexton Moor, 150m north east of Pexton Moor Farm
survives well. Despite the disturbance to the cairn significant
information about its original form and the burial placed within it will
be preserved. Evidence for earlier land use and the contemporary
environment will also survive beneath the cairn.
Details
The monument includes a round cairn located 10m to the east of a north-south
farm track on level ground in a mature conifer plantation, situated on Middle
Calcareous Grit towards the southern edge of the Tabular Hills. Though earth
covered, the cairn is of a high stone content and measures 7m in diameter and
is 0.6m high. A shallow, centrally placed depression 2m in diameter, is
thought to have been the result of an unrecorded excavation in the past. 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:
34608
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Dalby Forest Survey, (1996)
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.
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