Two round barrows on Troutsdale Moor, 900m west of Rock House Farm

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.

Unlike many barrows in this area the two round barrows on Troutsdale Moor 900m west of Rock House Farm do not appear to have been excavated and have survived in a good state of preservation. The archaeological deposits will survive intact and evidence for the date and original form of the barrows and the burials placed within them will be preserved. Evidence for earlier land use and the contemporary environment will also survive beneath the barrow mounds. The barrows are situated within an area which includes other burial monuments as well as field systems and the remains of prehistoric land division. Associated groups of monuments such as these offer important scope for the study of the distribution of prehistoric activity across the landscape.

Details

The monument includes two adjacent round barrows which are situated in a prominent position overlooking Troutsdale. It is located on level ground on the central plateau of the Tabular Hills.

The northern barrow has an earthen mound which stands up to 1.5m high and has a maximum diameter of 33m. The southern barrow lies 33m to the south east. It has an earthen mound which stands up to 1m high and has a maximum diameter of 22m. Neither barrow appears to have been excavated in the past. The barrows lie in an area where there are many other burial monuments as well as the remains of prehistoric land division.

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:

35434

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Spratt, D A, Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology in North East Yorkshire in Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology of North East Yorkshire, Vol. 87, (1993)

End of official list entry

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