| Summary : Ballowall Barrow is prehistoric funerary cairn which incorporates multiple phases of use and funerary practice spanning the Neolithic and Middle Bronze Age periods. It is situated on the cliff top at Ballowall Common, St Just. Ballowall Common has been heavily exploited by miners for the many lodes of tin which underlie the area, which meant that the monument was for a long period concealed and protected beneath mine waste. It was excavated in 1874 by W.C. Borlase. There are many discrepancies in the accounts of the excavation work, some of the finds were lost and interpretation of the site has been made difficult. Reconstruction work carried out after the excavation, in an effort to make interior features more accessible has further complicated the site. The site consists of a chambered round cairn or entrance grave. A small covered gallery, leading only a short way into the cairn was found and under its paved floor were burnt human bones and fragments of pottery apparently of the Bronze Age. Behind the gallery but quite separate from it was a small empty cist. A well-built oval wall was found at the centre of the cairn and within it, at ground level, was 4 small cists one of which contained a small Late Bronze Age urn. Another cist, containing animal bones and fragments of pottery, was found in the middle of the cairn about 5 feet above ground level. There was a considerable amount of broken pottery found in the mound. In addition, a Roman coin discovered in a small cist set high up within the mound suggests that the site continued to be a focus of local attention well after the Bronze Age. The walkway around the central mound and the revetted central space were built by Borlase after excavation so that visitors could see the cists and other features which would be hidden had the site been fully reconstructed. Finds from the site are in museums at Truro and Cambridge, and the British Museum, London. The site is in the care of English Heritage. |
More information : [Area centred SW 3536 3133] Carn Gluze, St. Just, was excavated by Copeland Borlase [in 1874] A small covered gallery, leading only a short way into the cairn was found and under its paved floor were burnt human bones and fragments of pottery apparently of the Bronze Age. Behind the gallery but quite separate from it was a small empty cist.
A well-built oval wall was a found at the centre of the cairn and within it at ground level were 4 small cists one of which contained small typical L.B.A. urn. A deep T-shaped put had been
dug into the subsoil perhaps also a grave. Another cist containing animal bones and fragments of pottery was found in the middle of the cairn about 5 ft. above ground level. Much broken pottery was found in the mound.
The most reasonable explanation of this curious monument is that the early gallery was later incorporated with other burials in the large cairn. The puzzle has been made still more intricate by much modern walling, which has been added to the cairn since its excavation, probably by Copeland Borlase, with a view to preserving it..."
Finds are in the museums of Truro; Arch. and Ethnology Cambridge, and the British Museum. (1)
Barrow at Bollowall (Karn Gluze) -[Full excavation report which is summarised in Authy (1)]
[See AO/59/378/2] (2)
Pottery from cairn at Ballowal-Late Bronze Age Class G. Deverel - Rimbury influence after 750 B.C. [Full description of 3 pots.]
One M B.A. Class C. Ribbon-handled urn. (3)
Carn. Gluze - "A round barrow 67ft in diameter excavated by Copeland Borlase in 1874 and found to contain among many other later features an entrance grave 10' 8" long by 3' 8" wide in the S.W. section of the barrow and opening out of the revetment wall. The relationship of this entrance grave to the rest of the barrow is disputed but there can be little doubt that the chamber itself is in the tradition of the other Penwith entrance graves..." (4)
St. Just, Ballowall Barrow - round barrow. Scheduled. (5)
This cairn at SW 3552 3125 has recently been restored by the Ministry of Works. This has made it impossible to determine its original form and the following description is based on its present appearance. The central cairn has an average diameter of 10.0m.and a maximum height of 2.5m. The well-made dry stone retaining wall has a pronounced batter. In the centre is a chamber measuring 6.0m x 3.0m retained by dry stone walling and with access by steps to the south. This chamber is probably part of the restoration and intended to protect the large excavation pit (shown as 'grave' on Borlase's plan).
The main bulk of the covering cairn is of rather irregular outline with diameters of between 22.0m and 24.0m and a maximum height of 2.5m. The perimeter is retained by restored dry stone walling. This 'outer' cairn is now in the form of a ring cairn, the inner side being retained by a dry stone wall and divided from the central cairn by a narrow passage. In this passage are the two surviving cists. Cist 'A' to the SWW measures 1.3m x 0.7m and is 0.7m deep. It is partly covered by a large slab (Ground photograph AO/60/392/7 from the west.) Cist 'B' to the NE measures 1.0m. x 0.5m.with a stone slab forming a central division to form a double cist. The capstone is missing (Ground photograph AO/60/392/8 from the SE).
The entrance grave in the SW perimeter of the cairn consists of a passage with sides of dry stone walling. It is 3.3m.long and varies in width from 0.9m.at the entrance to 1.2m.at the inner end. The latter has a roof of large slabs to form a chamber 1.2m. square and 0.8m.high (Ground photograph AO/60/378/1 from the S).
The only other feature are two mural chambers in the outer cairn, probably modern, to protect excavation pits. One, to the SE, has access from the passage between the cairns and the other is a small recess in the northern perimeter of the outer cairn.
A 25" survey has been made. Ground photograph AO/60/378/2.
General view of cairn from the S.E. (6)
No change. Very well preserved; known as Ballowall Barrow (a). (7)
Listed. (8)
Mentioned in brief discussion on Cornish chambered tombs. (9)
Survey and photographic recording of the monument undertaken by Cornwall Archaeological Unit for English Heritage. Work included reappraisal of excavation records. No further details. (10)
Ballowall Barrow is prehistoric funerary cairn which incorporates multiple phases of use and funerary practice spanning the Neolithic and Middle Bronze Age periods. It is situated on the cliff top at Ballowall Common, St Just. Ballowall Common has been heavily exploited by miners for the many lodes of tin which underlie the area, which meant that the monument was for a long period concealed and protected beneath mine waste. The site was excavated in 1874 by W. C. Borlase. However today, there are many discrepancies in the accounts of the excavation work, some of the finds were lost and interpretation of the site is difficult. Reconstruction work carried out after the excavation, in an effort to make interior features more accessible has further complicated the site. The earliest feature on the site is believed to be an elongated pit near the centre of the site. This was subsequently surrounded by cists, these subsequently being covered by a high mound of stone, which was then re-faced in stone. Two further cists were constructed around the periphery of this mound, and these in turn were covered by a stone-kerbed platform around the earlier mound. What may have been a west-facing entrance grave was inserted into this outer kerb. Fragments of funerary urns found in association with these features allow us to date these broadly to the Neolithic and the early Bronze Age, though a Roman coin found in a tiny cist set high up in the mound material suggests that the site continued to be a local focus in later prehistory. The walkway around the central mound and the revetted central space were built by Borlase so that visitors could see the cists and other features which would be hidden had the site been fully reconstructed. No other monument of this type has so far been identified in Cornwall although Borlase mentioned the excavation of another cairn nearby which showed some similarities in construction. Unfortunately no trace of this cairn now survives. (13-14)
A chambered round cairn or entrance grave excavated by Borlase in 1874. The monument was found to be of Neolithic date with Bronze Age cists, cremation burials and pottery. Scheduled. (15)
A brief history and description. (16) |