Monument record MDO5065 - Bowl barrow, one of the Launceston Down South Group, Tarrant Launceston

One of a group of at least thirteen round barrows on the southern part of Launceston Down. This barrow was excavated in 1938 by S and C M Piggott, who found a crouched burial beneath the barrow mound which they recorded as 40 feet in diameter and one foot high. The burial was in the centre of the mound and associated with a leaf-shaped arrowhead. The barrow is no longer extant as an earthwork.

Round barrows between 200 ft. and 250 ft. above O.D., extend in an irregular line from W.to E. on the northwood-facing slope of a dry combe which falls E. to the Crichel brook. All were excavated in 1938 by S and C M Piggott; they are no longer visible on the ground.

A Neolithic round barrow on Launceston Down, part of a cemetery excavated in 1938. The barrow is no longer extant as an earthwork. On excavation, the site proved to be a low natural knoll which had been thinly covered with earth and stones. This low mound was circa 1.3 feet high above the natural chalk. The "apparent diameter" was 40 feet. Near the centre, below the mound, was a crouched inhumation laid on its left side upon a layer of flint nodules. The nodules had been placed directly on the old ground surface. A leaf shaped flint arrowhead was found among the ribs of the skeleton. At the feet of the inhumation were two intersecting postholes. The excavators assumed that one was a replacement for the other. <1-2> <4>

(C) Launceston. ST 956 107 (sic) Listed by Kinnes as a Neolithic round barrow with 1 adult inhumation, with a leaf arrowhead between the ribs, lying on a layer of flint nodules with 2 postholes at the feet. <5>

Visited by MPPA in March 2000, but since all are heavily denuded, not recommended for scheduling. <6>

<1> Society of Antiquaries of London, 1944, Archaeologia 90, Vol 90, p47-80 (Serial). SDO16830.

Piggott, S and CM. Excavations of Barrows on Crichel and Launceston Downs, Dorset. [Barrow 13]

<2> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 135 (Monograph). SDO132.

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, (ST 95501069:ST 95621064:ST 95881056) Tumuli (NR) (sites of) (NAT) (twice) (Map). SWX1540.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 107 (Monograph). SDO99.

'The Launceston Down South Group comprises thirteen barrows (36-44); four of them lie in the neighbouring parish of Long Crichel (see Dorset V). They are between 200 ft. and 250 ft. above O.D., and extend in an irregular line from W. to E. on the northward-facing slope of a dry combe which falls E. to the Crichel brook. All these barrows were excavated in 1938 by S. and C.M. Piggott (Arch., XC (1944), 47-80); they are no longer visible on the ground and former dimensions, etc. are recorded. … (38) Bowl (95621064), with a primary crouched inhumation near the centre associated with a leaf-shaped arrowhead; diam. 40 ft., ht. 1 ft. (Piggott, 13).'

<5> Kinnes, I, 1979, Round barrows and ring-ditches in the British Neolithic, Vol 7, p21 (Monograph). SDO18417.

<6> English Heritage, English Heritage Alternative Action Report, SJ Lobb, MPPA, Mar-2000 (Scheduling record). SDO18279.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 210103 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1249114 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 23 2024 12:52PM