| Summary : A round barrow of Neolithic origin excavated in 1894 by Mortimer. At the time, it was 83 feet in diameter and 12 feet high. Apparently the top had been flattened and its circumference increased by "rabbit diggers, &c.", according to Mortimer, who suggested that its original dimensions had been a maximum 75 feet diameter and 15 to 18 feet in height. In the early 1990s, the mound was steep-sided, 2.75 metres high and circa 40 metres in diameter, surrounded by a ditch surviving as a slight depression on the northeast side, but apparently visible on air photographs as a concentric segmented cropmark. Excavation showed the inner core of the mound to comprise peaty soil, with an outer covering of white chalk gravel. 18 feet south-southeast of the centre, laid onthe original surface, were the remains of 5 skeletons, some at least representing crouched inhumations. The skull and bones of a pig were with them, and some Neolithic potsherds were nearby. 25 to 30 feet west of the centre was an arc of shallow slots, each circa 6 feet long, up to 18 inches wide and 10 inches deep. No artefacts were in the fills. Above the ground surface, within the inner mound, were further burials. 7 feet southeast of the centre were the remains of a cremated child, and nearby were 2 unburnt skull fragments (from an adult). 9 feet east of the centre was a crouched inhumation with a leaf arrowhead by the pelvis. Just east of the centre was another cruched inhumation. Other finds recovered, presumably all from within the mound, include a sandstone pounder, a number of flints, potsherds, animal remains and a red deer antler, as well as large quantities of frog and toad remains. |
More information : (TA 04847261) Tumulus (OE) (1)
Mortimer's Barrow 284: opened in Aug 1894. It is 83' in diam.
and 12' high. The lower part of the barrow was peaty soil and
above this was chalk, gravel. 7' SE of centre and 6' below upper
surface was a cremation (child). 18' SSE of centre on the old
turf line were five skeletons close together - three adults, one
youth and one child. With these skeletons were the skull and a
few bones of a pig. Two pieces of a food vessel were found near.
9' E of centre was the crouched burial of a male. On the pelvis
was a leaf-shaped arrowhead. Just E of centre and 9' from top of
the barrow, was a crouched skeleton, apparently of a middle-aged
female. No central grave which could definitely be said to be
primary was found. Other bones found in this barrow were of ox,
pig, roe deer, dog and wolf, horse, Irish elk, water vole, sheep
and goat, black grouse and other birds. (2)
Published survey (25") correct. (3)
TA 0483 7261. Bowl barrow 130m SE of Bridge Farm. Scheduled RSM No
21242. A large Neolithic bowl barrow, one of the few barrows known
to date from this early period. The steep sided barrow mound is
2.75m high with a diameter of 40m. The ditch is largely infilled,
but survives as a slight depression up to 0.1m deep and 5m wide on
the NE side of the mound. The barrow was investigated by Mortimer
in August 1894. He found the cremated remains of a child at the
centre and the skeletons of 3 adults, a child, and a juvenile on
the ancient land surface. They were accompanied by the skull and
a number of bones from a pig and fragments of food vessels of
Neolithic date. Two other skeletons were found; one of these, a
woman, was accompanied by a newly-made flint leaf arrowhead. (4)
Wold Newton 284. Listed by Kinnis as a Neolithic round barrow and possible mortuary enclosure represented by a length of segmented ditch. (5) |