Scheduled Monument: BOWL BARROW ON LONGSTONE MOOR (1010801)

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 the centre of this bowl barrow on Longstone Moor has been disturbed, the larger part of the monument is intact and will contain significant undisturbed archaeological remains. DETAILS This bowl barrow is located on the western edge of Longstone Moor which is part of the limestone plateau of Derbyshire. The monument includes a roughly circular cairn measuring 18m by 17.5m and standing c.1m high. In 1851, the barrow was partially excavated by Thomas Bateman and a rock-cut grave found containing a sherd of pottery and a skeleton. These remains date the barrow to the Bronze Age. The skeleton had been disturbed, suggesting that the centre of the barrow had been opened prior to Bateman's exploration, probably by late eighteenth-century treasure hunters. 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: Ten Years Diggings in Celtic and Saxon Grave-Hills - Type: DESC TEXT Book Reference - Author: Marsden, B. M. - Title: The Burial Mounds of Derbyshire - Date: 1986 - Page References: 39 - Type: DESC TEXT