Scheduled Monument: BLACKSTONE'S LOW BOWL BARROW (1010098)

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, Blackstone's Low bowl barrow still retains further significant archaeological remains. DETAILS Blackstone's Low bowl barrow is a sub-circular cairn situated on Ballidon Moor in the south-eastern uplands of the limestone plateau of Derbyshire. The monument includes a well-preserved mound measuring 23m by 20m and standing c.1.8m high. This was partially excavated by Thomas Bateman in 1849 and found to contain human remains and artefacts dateable to the Bronze Age. These included a limestone cist containing a crouched skeleton accompanied by a flint implement, three more crouched skeletons outside the cist and a fifth skeleton which had been either burned or defleshed since the long bones had been laid parallel to one another whilst still fresh. On the capstone of the limestone cist was another smaller cist which held a collared urn containing a cremation and the burnt remains of a bone pin, flint arrowhead and fine pot-sherd. A layer of burnt earth and sand was also found above the limestone cist and contained calcined human bones which included those of an infant. This indicates that a cremation had taken place on the barrow. The urned cremation was inserted at a later date than the other burials and demonstrates that the barrow was in use over an extended period of time. The fragments of another urn were found near the top of the mound along with calcined bone from another secondary cremation. 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 - Page References: 57-61 - Type: DESC TEXT Book Reference - Author: Davis, J B and Thurnam, J T - Title: Crania Britannica - Date: 1865 - Type: DESC TEXT - Description: Plate 1 No. 17 Book Reference - Author: Marsden, B. M. - Title: The Burial Mounds of Derbyshire - Date: 1986 - Page References: 13 - Type: DESC TEXT