Summary

Bowl barrow 655m north-west of Gomeldon Farm.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 16 July 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. As such they do not yet have the full descriptions of their modernised counterparts available. Please contact us if you would like further information.

This monument includes a bowl barrow situated on the upper south west facing slopes of a prominent ridge overlooking rolling countryside and the distant valley of the River Bourne. The barrow survives as a circular mound which measures up to 22m in diameter and 1.3m high with a 3m wide and up to 0.5m deep surrounding quarry ditch from which the construction material was derived. There is a central excavation hollow in the mound.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

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. 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. Despite partial early excavation or robbing the bowl barrow 655m north west of Gomeldon Farm survives well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, longevity, territorial significance, social organisation, funerary and ritual practices and overall landscape context.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
PastScape 218200
Wiltshire HER SU13NE609

Source: Historic England