| Summary : This large round barrow is now only visible as a low swell in an arable field at 140m O.D. The profile of the barrow is retained in the hedgeline that bisects it from north to south but the whole of its eastern half has been obliterated by the Brotton-Kilton road. The barrow would originally have measured about 20m in diameter. Howe Hill was excavated by Hornsby and Stanton in 1914; they discovered that the mound was made up with a clay floor, overlain by 'a cairn 30 feet long and 3 feet high' of diorite cobbles, capped by a layer of earth. Cut into the clay floor were two graves: the first was oriented north-south and measured 2m long by 0.9m wide at the old land surface and was 0.7m deep. The grave was filled with 'medium sized stones' with a 'thin dark layer', thought to be an inhumation burial, on the floor; 8 of the stones bore cupmarks. The second grave, oriented north-east, south-west, was 2.5m long by 0.9m wide at the old ground surface, reducing to 1.8m long by 0.5m wide at its bottom, 1.3m below. This grave, which was filled with stones, also contained a tree trunk coffin of oak, measuring 1.5m long, 0.5m wide at the head, 0.20m wide at the foot, and 0.25m deep. At the head (north-east) were found the unburnt skull fragments of a man laid on his right side. Unaccompanied cremations had been placed at both ends of the coffin. 16 cupmarked stones were among the infill of the grave. Between the graves was a large boulder with 25 cupmarks, of which 5 had concentric rings. A further unaccompanied cremation was found 7m south-south-west of centre. |
More information : (NZ 69501886) Tumulus (N.R.). (1)
B.A. barrow on Howe Hill excavated by Hornsby and Stanton (see
plan). Two graves were found, the one in the centre containing a
thin dark layer of soil and the other (offset to the W.) consisted
of a tree trunk coffin which contained part of a human skull. Two
burnt interments were located above the foot and beyond the head of
the coffin. Both of the graves were covered by a heap of stones,
some of which had "cup" marks. (2)
Now marked by a broad unportrayable ground swelling in an arable
field, and the silhouette of a mound on the dividing fence.
Published survey (25") revised. (3)
0004 Howe Hill, Brotton NZ 6950 1886
This large barrow is now only visible as a low swell in an arable
field at 140m O.D. The profile of the barrow is retained in the
hedgeline that bisects it from north to south but the whole of its
eastern half has been obliterated by the Brotton-Kilton road. The
barrow would originally have measured about 20m in diameter.
Howe Hill was excavated by Hornsby and Stanton in 1914; they
discovered that the mound was made up with a clay floor, overlain by
'a cairn 30 feet long and 3 feet high' of diorite cobbles, capped by
a layer of earth. Cut into the clay floor were two graves: the
first was oriented north-south and measured 2m long by 0.9m wide at
the old land surface and was 0.7m deep. The grave was filled with
'medium sized stones' with a 'thin dark layer', thought to be an
inhumation burial, on the floor; 8 of the stones bore cupmarks. The
second grave, oriented north-east, south-west, was 2.5m long by 0.9m
wide at the old ground surface, reducing to 1.8m long by 0.5m wide
at its bottom, 1.3m below. This grave, which was filled with
stones, also contained a tree trunk coffin of oak, measuring 1.5m
long, 0.5m wide at the head, 0.20m wide at the foot, and 0.25m deep.
At the head (north-east) were found the unburnt skull fragments of
a man laid on his right side. Unaccompanied cremations had been
placed at both ends of the coffin. 16 cupmarked stones were among
the infill of the grave.
Between the graves was a large boulder with 25 cupmarks, of which 5
had concentric rings. A further unaccompanied cremation was found
7m south-south-west of centre. (4)
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