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RILLATON BARROW

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Originally one of four barrows. Excavations located a cist with inhumation, accompanied by grave goods including the Rillaton Gold Cup

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[SX 2601 7191] Tumulus (NR) (1)

The existing tumulus, about 30 yards in diameter, stood with three
others in the Duchy Manor of Rillaton (2).

In the excavation of a cist, found in 1837 (2)(3) by labourers lookingfor building material, the following dimensions were recorded: length 8ft, width 3.5ft, height 3ft, aligned north-north east to south-south west. It was constructed of three vertical stones on each side, one stone each end and single large stones forming the floor and roof.

The cist was rebuilt c.1900 (7). Crawford identified the barrow with
the cist in the east side and barrow 30 paces in diameter(8).

Hencken gives it an EBA date but does not consider it the primary
burial as it was built into the outer edge of the mound a little above ground level. It contained an inhumation with grave goods consisting of a small gold cup (9), an urn, bronze knife-dagger, rivet, pieces of ivory and a few glass beads. (The cup, known as the "Rillaton Gold Cup", is now in the British Museum).

In about 1837 some miners found a small cromlech in a barrow or cairn
and under it they found a gold cup with a spear or sceptre, an earthen urn (broken to pieces) and human bones. (9)

The tumulus is up to 35.0m in diameter and 3.4m high. It has been
extensively damaged by haphazard digging and has a 1.7m deep central
mutilation. The rebuilt cist is well preserved.
Published survey 1:2500 revised. (10)

Depicted on NMR Bodmin Moor Survey AP transcription. (11)

Rillaton Barrow, situated towards the south east end on a broad spur
at about 345m above OD, in an area of un-enclosed moorland.
A turf covered cairn 34m in diameter and from 2m to 2.7m high. It has been much dug into at the sides and the top which is about 15m across is mostly occupied by a large pit.

The cist, on the east side of the cairn and 1m below the top, has been exposed by an excavation pit on its east side. It is difficult to know to what extent it has been rebuilt but is in good condition.

Internally it measures 2.2m by 1.1m and is 0.9m deep from roof to
floor. Backstone, coverstone and ends consist of single slabs; the
east side, exposed by the pit has four slabs, a small gap between two
allowing access to the chamber.

In fairly good condition.
Surveyed at 1:2500. (12)

The barrow is included on the distribution map of Bronze age sites of Cornwall. The cup, originally thought to imitate a bell beaker is now considered to fall chronologically and technologically to the later stages of the earlier Bronze Age. (Wessex II) (13)

The cup is very similar to one found at Fritzdorf near Bonn in 1954. Both had been beaten from a single ingot, the handles attached by rivets passing throught lozengiform washers. The method and designs of both are so similar they may have been produced by the same person. (14)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1962

( 2) General reference

JRIC 3 1686-71 34-9 (E Smirke)

( 3) General reference

Prehist Chambered Tombs 1950 242 (G Daniel)

( 4) General reference

Arch of Corn 1932 49-70 77-8 drawing (H O'N Hencken)

( 5) General reference

Corn Arch 8 1969 126-7 (L V Grinsell)

( 6) General reference

Rec 6" (O G S Crawford 20 9 29)

( 7) General reference

PPS 19 1953 168 (T G E Powell)

( 8) General reference

BM Quarterly 11 1936 1 ff plate 2

( 9) General reference

Parochial History of Cornwall 3 1870 132 (W Lake)

(10) Field Investigators Comments

F1 MJF 11-JAN-74

(11) General reference

NMR AP transcript

(12) General reference

RCHME Field Investigation 08-MAY-85 N.V Quinnell

(13) General reference

Corn Archaeol. 25, 1986, 81ff (P.M Christie)

(14) General reference

Corn Archaeol. 16. 1977, 157 (P. Ashbee)

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