Monument record MDO6364 - Bowl Barrow, Oakley Down Group, Wimborne St Giles

Barrow forming part of the Oakley Down Group, north of the A354. In 1975 the RCHME reported that the monument had been levelled by cultivation, but was formerly about 32 feet in diameter and 1.5 feet high. The barrow was excavated by A L Parke in 1940 and 1950-51, this work evidencing primary and secondary burials, the latter including the cremated remains of a child associated with a late 4th century coin and 4th century pottery.

A round barrow, part of a linear group (focused on SU 01 NW 165) located just to the north of the main Oakley Down barrow group (SU 01 NW 19). RCHME survey noted it had been levelled by cultivation. The barrow is probably that depicted by Hoare just to the northeast of his barrow 26 on his plan of the Oakley Down barrows. Its unnumbered status suggests that it probably wasn't excavated by him. However, the barrow has been excavated on two occasions more recently. In 1940, a trial trench identified the presence of a surrounding ditch, and resulted in the recovery of Roman potsherds and a glass bead. More extensive excavation occurred in 1950-51 following recognition of the damage being caused by ploughing. The excavation showed the barrow to comprise a central mound of possibly more than one phase, surrounded by a stepped berm and ditch. Beneath the centre of the barrow were two pits, each containing a cremation deposit. One also contained a bronze awl, and unburned human bones were found on top of the pit. Four secondary cremations were found. Three were associated with inverted Deverel-Rimbury style urns. The fourth was found with a coin of Valeninian I and a sherd of Roman pottery. On the northwest side, a bank and ditch, possibly associated with the field system SU 01 NW 71, cut the barrow ditch. Finds from these features included some 4000 sherds of Roman pottery. A number of Roman glass beads were also found during the barrow excavation. The barrow is listed by Grinsell as a bowl barrow, although he acknowledges the excavators' description of it as a bell barrow, arguing "I think the small size shows that it was not one in the technical sense" ! Two primary cremations were found in pits below the remnant mound, one with a flat tanged bronze awl and a stone or pottery bead. Above this was a (ritual?) deposit of unburnt human bones. Three secondary cremations, possibly Late Bronze Age, lay beneath inverted urns. A later inserted cremation burial was dated on the basis of a sherd of New Forest ware and a coin of Valentinian I in its fill deposit. Five segmented glass beads, probably 'Belgic', were found in the secondary mound, and a mass of Romano-British pottery came from an adjacent 'Celtic' field bank formerly encroaching on the north west side of the barrow.

Record last edited

Mar 7 2024 7:04PM