Details

The monument includes a round barrow situated in a prominent position towards
the top of the north eastern scarp edge of the Hackness Hills.
The barrow has a well-defined earth and stone mound which stands up to 1.1m
high and measures 10m in diameter. Partial excavation in the past has left a
small hollow in the centre of the mound.
The barrow lies in an area where there are many other prehistoric burial
monuments.

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.

Despite limited disturbance, the round barrow on Reasty Hill Top 820m south
east of Breckenhurst has survived well. Information about the original form of
the barrow and the burials placed within it will be preserved. Evidence for
earlier land use and the contemporary environment will also survive beneath
the barrow mound.
The barrow is part of a group of six round and square barrows. This
association provides a valuable insight into the development of ritual and
funerary practice during the Bronze and Iron Ages, and the spatial and
chronological relationship between the two types of barrow.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Title: Forestry Commission Areas North York Moors Archaeological Survey
Source Date: 1992
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

Source: Historic England