Scheduled Monument: Two bowl barrows on Lord's Down 580m south east of Crawthorne Farm (SM33533)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Two bowl barrows on Lord's Down 580m south east of Crawthorne Farm PARISH: BURLESTON DISTRICT: WEST DORSET COUNTY: DORSET NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 33533 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): SY77959634 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument includes two bowl barrows, aligned east-west, forming part of a dispersed group of barrows on Lord's Down, the remainder of which are the subject of separate schedulings. About 15m apart, they lie on a low rise at the base of a north facing slope. The eastern barrow has a mound 30m in diameter and 1m high while the western barrow has a mound 35m in diameter and 0.75m high. Surrounding each mound is a quarry ditch from which material was derived for its construction and which have become infilled over the years, but will survive as buried features about 3m wide. The barrows lie within an extensive area of later prehistoric field system which has been reduced in height by ploughing; the fragmentary surviving remains are not included in the scheduling. ASSESSMENT OF IMPORTANCE Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, 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 or rubble mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as cemeteries and often acted as a focus for 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 bowl barrows recorded nationally (many more have already been destroyed), occurring across most of lowland Britain. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable variation of 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 two bowl barrows on Lord's Down 580m south east of Crawthorne Farm will contain archaeological deposits containing evidence about Bronze Age burial practices, society and the contemporary environment. SCHEDULING HISTORY Monument included in the Schedule on 17th July 1961 as: COUNTY/NUMBER: Dorset 537 NAME: Two round barrows west of Lord's Down The reference of this monument is now: NATIONAL MONUMENT NUMBER: 33533 NAME: Two bowl barrows on Lord's Down 580m south east of Crawthorne Farm SCHEDULING REVISED ON 07th August 2001

Record last edited

Apr 19 2011 5:44AM