Summary

Round cairn on Shaugh Moor, 760m north-east of Huxton Farm.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 5 November 2015. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

This monument includes a round cairn situated on a gentle south facing slope of Shaugh Moor overlooking the valley of the River Plym. The cairn stands adjacent to and north of the terminal reave of the Shaugh Moor coaxial field system and forms part of a cluster of cairns associated with a stone alignment. The cairn survives as a 12m diameter mound standing up to 1m high and a hollow in its centre suggests robbing or partial early excavation. The northern side of the mound is defined by a stone kerb standing up to 0.5m high which may survive elsewhere as a buried feature.

Further archaeological remains including a coaxial field system, prehistoric settlements, a stone alignment, cairns and a medieval wayside cross survive within the vicinity of this monument. Some are separately designated whilst others have not been formally assessed.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Dartmoor is the largest expanse of open moorland in southern Britain and, because of exceptional conditions of preservation; it is also one of the most complete examples of an upland relict landscape in the whole country. The great wealth and diversity of archaeological remains provide direct evidence for human exploitation of the Moor from the early prehistoric period onwards.

The well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement sites, major land boundaries, trackways, ceremonial and funerary monuments as well as later industrial remains, gives significant insights into successive changes in the pattern of land use through time. Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds, the latter predominating in areas of upland Britain where such raw materials were locally available in abundance. Round cairns may cover single or multiple burials. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major visual element in the modern landscape. Their considerable variation in form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. Dartmoor provides one of the best preserved and most dense concentrations of round cairns in south- western Britain.

The round cairn on Shaugh Moor, 760m north-east of Huxton Farm survives well and forms part of a ritual area centred around a stone alignment. The presence of the kerb indicates that important archaeological structural information survives within this monument. The relationship with the terminal reave and the evidence for deliberate exclusion of the cairn from the field system provides a valuable insight into Bronze Age territorial control and land-use. In broader terms the monument also provides a valuable insight into Bronze Age funerary and ritual activity.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Butler, J, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, Volume Three - The South-West , (1994), 103 and 106
Other
PastScape Monument No:- 439245

Source: Historic England