Monument record MDO43268 - Roke Down #46a-e

'(D) ROKE DOWN GROUP (SY 89 NW), six barrows in two clusters of three, the westernmost including two probable bells. In arable on S. slopes of Down near 200 ft. contour; all except (96) among 'Celtic' fields with (93-5) probably at field angles (see Ancient Field Group (30)). All have probably been opened. Accounts exist of six excavations hereabouts but only one can be related with certainty to a specific barrow (97), though the account in Hutchins of even this is confused (Hutchins I, 143-4; Warne, C.T.D., cpf, no. 2 and 17 n; Payne, Durden Catalogue (1892), 12-18; Abercromby II, 39 and fig. 375; Ant. J. XIII (1933), 443).A barrow 'on the upper part of Roke Down' (LVG 46a; Warne, C.T.D., cpf, no.2) contained a cremation, probably primary, in an inverted urn in a grave 3 ft. deep. In the mound near the centre were four cremations in bucket urns, of which three were inverted. Immediately above three extended inhumations lay E.-W. and a similar inhumation, with a plain urn, came from the S. side of the mound. A sixth cremation, in a very small urn, lay just below the turf on the S.E.A barrow (LVG 46b) a few yards to the E. contained two primary contracted inhumations. One lay in a grave 6 ft. long, 2 ft. wide and 2 ft. deep, accompanied by a cremation in a small 'drinking cup'. The other was in a grave about 5 ft. away with animal bones. In a layer of soil and charcoal 2 ft. thick at the base of the mound were four more inhumations and two 'drinking cups'. At least seven urns, three of them complete, accompanied or contained cremations higher in the mound. One complete biconical urn with applied horse-shoe handles and perforated lugs contained a bead of rolled sheet bronze; another a small bone pin.In a third barrow (LVG 46c), a cremation, probably primary, with broken urn lay in a cist, near which were three further cremations and another urn. Four urns lay on the S. side of the mound and on the N.E. was an inhumation in a stone-lined grave.The fourth barrow (LVG 46d) contained three bucket urns, one with perforamtions on either side of a crack as if to bind it together. Some of the urns from these barrows are in the B.M. Warne also records the opening of a large barrow containing 'great stones' placed over the urns, similar to those in the Deverel Barrow.' . . . <1>

A BA cinerary urn from Roke Down is in Dorchester Museum [no. 35]. Abercromby classification Type 4 Deverel group 2. Measuring 13", by 11 ins wide, a slight ridge at the widest part has been worked into four handles. (1) Dorset Museum Classified Index

The excavation is reported of "a group of barrows right and left of the parish road leading to Roke Farm from Milbourne to Bere Regis"
(a) Standing on slope of the hill, on upper part of Roke Down; 170ft circumference and 10-12ft high. Opened in 1842, revealing small slightly ornamented urn filled with burnt bones, a few inches from surface [Urn A in Warne's account]. Below a sub-layer of chalk a quantity of burnt bones was found, extending over much of the east and [handwriting unclear] sides of the barrow. Below this were three adult skeletons lying side by side in an E-W direction. At the feet of one was a large unornamented urn, 15" high and 13" dia containing a cremation [Warne's urn B]. At the foot of another skeleton was a smaller urn, ornamented round the rim [Warne's urn C]. Near these interments, at the centre of the barrow, was a cairn containing an urn with burnt bones [Warne's urn D]. On the south side of the barrow was the skeleton of a young person, lying E-W, and at the feet an unaccompanied urn placed on a stratum of burnt wood and bones [Warne's urn E]. On the floor, about 4ft from the centre was a cist 3ft deep, 2ft 6in dia, in which was an inverted urn containing a cremation and two small pieces of circular feldspar, probably amulets [Warne's urn F].

(b) A barrow a few yards east of (a), 11ft high and 26ft diameter. Contained a cist with crouched inhumation burial with a decorated beaker accompanying it, which was filled with burnt bones, near it several teeth of sheep or deer [Beaker, Warnes' urn G]. Five feet to W was another cist with skeleton in a sitting posture, and facing E. Above this a 2ft layer of mould and burnt wood extended over the entire barrow, in which were four skeletons and two beakers [Warne's urns H and I]. On the south side at a higher level, were the fragments of at least four urns besides one in good preservation with the fragments of a cremation surrounding it. (Warne's urns J, K, L, M & N).

Three feet east of these interments, at the same level were two more urns, inverted, both containing cremation burials. One urn possessed four perforated lugs, and measured 18ins in height. The other was nearly 23ins high, and 19 1/2ins in diameter, with slight ornamentation. (Warne's urns 'O' & 'P').

C). Barrow 3ft high and 42 paces circumference, partly destroyed. On the south side four urns were identified from fragments, and on the north-east side, a cist contained an inhumation burial. In the centre on the floor, another cist contained fragments of an urn and burnt bones, with another urn near it surrounded by interments of burnt bones.

D) Bowl shaped barrow, 6ft high, 47 paces circumference. It exhibited various modes of interment, followed by a cremation. Three urns were found.

A bone pin from barrow 'b' is in the British Museum (Durden Collection) Acc. No. 92.9.1-224.

Barrows excavated by H. Durden, with the following finds:-
a) Hutchins'No.1 ?primary urn of unknown type in chalk cist; 4 secondary L.B.A. bucket or barrel urns; 3 secondary or intrusive skeletons. (Warne's barrow No 2).

B) Hutchins'No.2. 2 primary crouched interments, and other skeletons of unknown date; secondary cremations with L.B.A. bucket urns and one globular urn.

C) Hutchins'No.3. ?primary of 2 urns with burnt bones in centre; 4 secondary urns on south side; secondary or intrusive skeleton in stone lined grave in the north-east.

D) Hutchins'No.4. 3 L.B.A. bucket urns. ?primary or secondary.

The location of these barrows was not ascertained during field investigation. The topographical description of barrows. (a) and (b) - "a few yards away" - suggests that they are in fact the two barrows of site SY 89 NW 29, especially as one of these appears to be the only barrow in the area known to have been excavated. Barrows © and(d) cannot be positively identified but may be SY 89 NW 30 and SY 89 NW 37. <2>

<1> Garrow, D, and Cooper, A, 2021, Grave Goods Project dataset, 72860 (Machine readable data file). SDO17407.

<2> National Record of the Historic Environment, 455837 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<2.1> Externally held archive reference Classified Index Dorchester Museum (Index). SWX2608.

<2.2> Grinsell, L V, 1935-54, Dorset Barrows 1935-54 Manuscript (Unpublished document). SWX1556.

<2.3> Hawkes, C F C, 1933, Barrows. Antiquaries Journal 13, 443 (Article in serial). SWX4347.

<2.4> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 16-NOV-54 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<2.5> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F2 JGB 15-MAY-81 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<2.6> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1908, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club for 1907, 135 (Serial). SDO17439.

<2.7> Hutchins, J, 1774, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. Volume 1. 1st edition (Monograph). SWX2949.

<2.8> Warne, C, 1866, The Celtic Tumuli of Dorset (1866) (Monograph). SWX8166.

Record last edited

Jan 20 2025 3:07PM