Scheduled Monument: LIFFS LOW BOWL BARROW (1010969)

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to the period 2400-1500 BC. They were constructed as earthen or rubble mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as cemeteries and often acted as a focus for burials in later periods. Often superficially similar, although differing widely in size, they exhibit regional variations in form and a diversity of burial practices. There are over 10,000 surviving bowl barrows recorded nationally (many more have already been destroyed), occurring across most of lowland Britain. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable variation of form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisations amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection. Although partially disturbed by excavation, Liffs Low bowl barrow is still a well-preserved example containing further archaeological remains. DETAILS Liffs Low bowl barrow is a sub-circular cairn situated on the south-western ridges of the limestone plateau of Derbyshire on the eastward side of The Liffs. The monument includes a mound measuring 18m by 14.5m with an average height of c.1.5m. A Neolithic date for the monument is indicated by its location beneath the crest of a hill and is corroborated by the partial excavations carried out by Thomas Bateman in 1843 when it was found that the cairn contained at least one cist with an inhumation burial accompanied by flint and antler artefacts and a pot of unusual form dating to the transition between the Neolithic and Beaker periods. A second partial excavation carried out in the 1930s revealed a second cist containing a skeleton and a beaker. Bronze staining on some of the bones indicates the re-use of the cairn in the early Bronze Age. SELECTED SOURCES Book Reference - Author: Barnatt, J. - Title: The Peak District Barrow Survey - Type: DESC TEXT Book Reference - Author: Barnatt, J. - Title: The Peak District Barrow Survey - Type: PLAN: MEASURED Book Reference - Author: Bateman, T. - Title: Vestiges of the Antiquities of Derbyshire - Date: 1848 - Page References: 41-43 - Type: DESC TEXT Book Reference - Author: Marsden B - Title: The Burial Mounds of Derbyshire (1977) - Date: 1977 - Type: DESC TEXT Article Reference - Author: Smith, K - Title: The Mystery Man of Liff's Low - Date: 1984 - Journal Title: Peak Park News - Volume: 4 - Type: DESC TEXT