Details

The monument includes two bowl barrows aligned broadly east-west and forming
part of a wider cemetery, situated on the crest of a prominent chalk ridge.
From east to west, the mounds have diameters of 23m and 18m and are 2.3m and
1.5m high respectively. Surrounding each mound is a ditch from which material
was quarried during the construction of the barrows. The ditch of the eastern
barrow is c.3.5m wide and 0.5m deep. The ditch of the western barrow has
become infilled over the years and can no longer be seen at ground level but
survives as a buried feature c.3m wide.
Both barrows have hollows in the top of their mounds indicating unrecorded
antiquarian excavations.
The post and wire fence which lies 1.5m from the north edge of the mound of
the eastern barrow is excluded from the scheduling, but the ground beneath is
included. The earth boundary bank which lies 1.5m to the north of the fence
and follows its line is included in the scheduling.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Round barrow cemeteries date to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They comprise
closely-spaced groups of up to 30 round barrows - rubble or earthen mounds
covering single or multiple burials. Most cemeteries developed over a
considerable period of time, often many centuries, and in some cases acted as
a focus for burials as late as the early medieval period. They exhibit
considerable diversity of burial rite, plan and form, frequently including
several different types of round barrow, occasionally associated with earlier
long barrows. Where large scale investigation has been undertaken around them,
contemporary or later "flat" burials between the barrow mounds have often been
revealed. Round barrow cemeteries occur across most of lowland Britain, with a
marked concentration in Wessex. In some cases, they are clustered around other
important contemporary monuments such as henges. Often occupying prominent
locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape, whilst
their diversity and their longevity as a monument type provide important
information on the variety of beliefs and social organisation amongst early
prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period
and a substantial proportion of surviving or partly-surviving examples are
considered worthy of protection.

Despite evidence for partial excavation, the bowl barrows on Mottistone Down
survive well and will contain archaeological remains and environmental
evidence relating to the cemetery and the landscape in which it was
constructed. These barrows are amongst a number which survive in the area of
downland above Brighstone.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, , Sherwin, , 'Proceedings of the IOW Natural History and Archaeological Soc' in , , Vol. 3, (1940), 203

Source: Historic England