Description

The monument is a burial mound of the Neolithic period. It is 50m long, 25m broad and 3m high. It is clearly defined and is certainly not the glacial feature it was thought to be thirty years ago when experience of long barrows in Scotland was severely limited. The mound is aligned NE-SW. Minor excavations in the 1953 showed that it was built of redeposited gravel; there is therefore the likelihood of a surrounding quarry ditch, of which no surface indications now survive.

The excavation struck what appeared to be an Early Bronze Age cist near the N end; this was not opened. The mound is very well preserved, showing no signs of erosion by agriculture, other than the possible filling in of the presumed quarry ditch. The mature trees which were on the site until recently will have caused some damage; this is not likely to be significant.

The area proposed for scheduling is the entire area of the four sided post-and-wire fenced enclosure in which the mound lies. The NE side along the track edge is c. 28m long, the SE side is c. 52m long, the SW side is 39m long, the NW side (D) is 35m long. The corner of the enclosure lies c. 156.7m from the junction of the track and the main road.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument has very fine field characteristics. Long barrows are very rare in Scotland; the long doubt about the nature of this mound was the result of the belief that the distribution of long barrows did not extend into N Britain. However, field survey has shown that some long burrows are to be found in Scotland. The excavation of the long barrow at Dalladies has shown the affinity of Scottish sites to the mainstream of English long barrows.

The excavation of Broadgate will make a very significant contribution to our understanding of early/mid Neolithic funerary and ceremonial traditions in Central Scotland. Further, the evidence of secondary/early Bronze Age burials dug into the surface of the mound will also be important. The mound covers part of the Neolithic landscape, the examination of which will add much to our knowledge of the economy, environment and farming practices of the period.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NS 57 NE 5.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland