Details

The monument includes two adjacent round barrows and the area between them in
which unmarked burials and other archaeological remains may survive. The
monument is located on a level terrace overlooking Biller Howe Dale on the
east side of Sneaton Low Moor. This is at the eastern side of the sandstone,
heather covered moor characteristic of the North York Moors. Today the moor is
little used but archaeological evidence indicates that this has not always
been the case. The prehistoric period in particular saw extensive use of the
area for burials and agriculture. Remains of these activities survive
today.
Each barrow has an earth and stone mound; they stand 8m apart. The northern
mound measures 7m in diameter and is 0.4m high. The southern mound measures 5m
in diameter and is 0.4m high. Both mounds were surrounded by ditches up to 3m
wide which have been filled in and are no longer visible as earthworks.

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 barrows 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 mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered
single or multiple burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as
cemeteries and often acted as a focus of burials in later periods. Often
superficially similar, although differing widely in size, they exhibit
regional variations in form and a diversity of burial practices. There are
over 10,000 surviving examples recorded nationally (many more have already
been destroyed), occurring across most of Britain, including the Wessex area
where it is often possible to classify them more closely, for example as bowl
or bell barrows. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major
historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable variation in
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 and a
substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of
protection.

The two round barrows 500m south west of Foulsike Farm have survived well.
Significant information about the original construction of the barrows, the
burials placed within them and the relationship with other monuments in the
area will be preserved. Evidence of earlier land use will also survive beneath
the barrow mounds.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Smith, M J B, Excavated Bronze Age Burial Mounds of North East Yorkshire, (1997), 1-38

Source: Historic England