Monument record MDO6743 - Wallisdown Round Barrow, Poole

Bronze Age bell barrow completely excavated in 1949. It had a central turf mound covering a disturbed central cremation burial. A series of stake and post hole arcs and circles found beneath the barrow.

'(364) Bell (SZ 09 SE; 05699432) immediately adjacent to (363) on E. and now built over after complete excavation by H.J.Case in 1949. Overall diam. 40 ft. A central mound of sods with vegetation uppermost, 10 ft. in diam. And about 1 ft. high. Was covered with gravel to give total diam. Of 22 ft. and ht. of 1½ ft. Berm 3 ft. to 5 ft. wide lay within almost perfectly circular ditch 5 ft. wide and 2 ft. to 2½ ft. deep interrupted on S.E. by causeway at least 3½ ft. wide. Beneath sod mound remains of a disturbed central grave 5 ft. long and 6 ins. Deep held traces of a presumably primary cremation. Much charcoal, including lumps up to 1 ft. long, lay around the grave; a sample was of oak. Thirty-two post-holes and twenty-four stake-holes were found. Sixteen post-holes were approximately equidistant on circumference of a circle 28 ft. in diam., around outer edge of berm; ten, associated with the causeway, suggested an entrance structure; and six lay outside the ditch, five of them S.E. of the causeway, possibly marking-out posts. They varied between 3 ins. And 15 ins. In depth. Twelve stake-holes, 1 in. to 4 ins. Deep, lay beneath sod mound; three, leaning towards the grave, suggested possible temporary structure over it. The others lay at or immediately beyond edge of sod mound, six on an arc from barrow centre. Seventy-nine struck flints, mostly from top of mound, and many fire-pitted pebbles, mostly from sod mound and buried surface, were found. Pollen analysis suggested that forest clearance was well-advanced when the barrow, probably in Early or Middle Bronze Age, was built on land perhaps previously cultivated. (P.P.S. XVIII (1952), 148-59; and XIX (1953), 131-3; Arch. J. CXIV (1957), 1-9; P. Ashbee, The Bronze Age Round Barrow in Britain (1960), 60-5.)'. (1)

Record last edited

May 19 2021 4:45PM