Monument record MDO7998 - Bowl Barrow, Ballard Down, Swanage

A Bronze Age bowl barrow, one of a group of three barrows. This barrow was excavated by the Revd Austin in 1857. He found a central contracted inhumation burial with part of an antler. A secondary urned cremation burial was found in the southern side, and a later extended inhumation was found in the eastern part of the barrow mound.

A 37 ft wide bowl barrow in which a primary contracted inhumation with an antler fragment was found in a grave cut 5 ft deep into the chalk; other antler fragments occurred within the grave fill. An extended e/w inhumation lay 2 ft beneath the top of the mound. (1-3)

The extended inhumation is thought to be early medieval in date. (1)

A secondary urned cremation in a collared urn was exposed on the south side of the barrow by ploughing in 1967. (4)

Papworth, M, 1992, Whitecliff Farm, Purbeck, Dorset, Wessex Region, 10 (Unpublished document). SWX1387.

A bowl barrow visible as a low rise 11m dia. And 0.9m high with a hollow on top excavated by Austin (1869 p161). “Following the ridge of the hill eastwards, towards Ballard Head, immediately over Punfield, and scarcely observable from a distance we find two bowl-shaped barrows, and a pond barrow, about six paces distant from each other, and together forming an equilateral triangle; the latter placed at the north angle. On July 16th, 1857, I commenced an examination of the smallest of these barrows, which is situated at the western angle. It measured forty paces in circumference, but only about three feet in height above the true level, although the surface immediately surrounding having been taken for the purpose of forming the tumulus, it appeared higher. It was composed of chalk rubble mingled with earth, to the depth of two feet, where was a stratum of mouldy earth, and a skeleton, lying upon its back, with the feet towards the east; it was that of either a young person, or a woman, about four feet in length, laid out straight, with the heels touching each other. The thigh bone measured eleven and a half inches in length. The skull was in the centre and the skeleton in the east segment of the barrow. Having ascertained that there were no further remains in this direction, I returned to the shaft, and, at the depth of eight feet beneath the apex, came upon the now customary carefully packed lumps of chalk, covering a skeleton which lay on its left side, with the head to the north, the face consequently looking to the east, the arms were folded across the body, so that the hands rested at the knees which were tightly gathered up that the skeleton occupied a space of only thirty five inches in length, giving a height of six feet one inch… Near the head was placed a piece of antler of an old stag, which bore the mark of a cutting tool, and several other pieces were amongst the lumps of chalk. I did not observe any pottery”. The field was ploughed in 1967 and cut the south side of the barrow exposing a collared urn (fig. 4) Calkin (1967 p141) which contained a cremation burial. This urn was deposited at Dorset County Museum and is similar to that found by Austin in 112,126 (fig. 5). A barrow is shown on Woodward’s map of 1775.

<1> National Monuments Record, NMR Monument Record, SZ 08 SW 125 (Index). SDO9937.

(Centred SZ 039813) Tumuli (NR) (three shown) (1)

SZ 03978130. Bowl barrow, 13 paces diameter and 3 feet high. Opened by J H. Austen who found a primary crouched inhumation in a grave 5 feet below the original surface with a deer antler near the head. Two feet from the top of the barrow was an intrusive extended inhumation of a youth with head to the west. (2-5)

Bowl barrow, 11 metres in diameter and 1.1 metre high. There is a hollow in the top and a slit trench at the western base. No surrounding ditch. (6)

Bowl barrow, has recently been further damaged on the south side by ploughing. The upper part of an inverted collared urn associated with pieces of bone were found by E.E Harrison in 1967. In Dorset County Museum. (7)

SZ 03978129. (89) Bowl barrow, 37 feet in diameter and 3 feet high with hollowed top. Excavated by Austen (similar information as Authority 5). Two round barrows at the east end of Ballard Down. Scheduled. (8)

No change to Authority 8 but National Grid Reference should read SZ 03978130. A barrow on grassland, in good condition, 117 metres OD. Surveyed at 1:2500. (9)

One of a group of three round barrows situated on Ballard Down. The bowl barrow is the southwestern barrow of the three and survives as an earthwork with a mound 12 metres in diameter and 0.65 metres high. Partial excavations of the mound by J H Austin in 1857 located a primary crouched inhumation with a deer antler close to the skull situated within a chalk cut grave 1.5 metres deep. A secondary extended inhumation of a juvenile, with the head orientated towards the west was located 0.6 metres between the surface of the barrow mound. (10)

The secondary inhumation is thought to be early medieval in date. (11)

<2> Austen, J H, 1856-7, Purbeck Papers (1856-7), 161-162 (Monograph). SWX2801.

On July 16th, 1857, I commenced an examination of the smallest of these barrows, which is situated at the western angle. It measured forty paces in circimiference, but only about three feet in height above the true level, although, the surface immediately surrounding having been taken for the purpose of forming the tumulus, it appeared higher. It was composed of chalk rubble mingled with earth, to the depth of two feet, where was a stratum of mouldy earth, and a skeleton, (No. 8,) lying
upon its back, with the feet towards the east; it was that of either a young person, or a woman, about four feet in length, laid out straight, with the heels touching each other. The thigh bone measured eleven and a half inches in length. The skull was at the centre, and the skeleton in the east segment of
the barrow. Having ascertained that there were no further remains in this direction, I returned to the shaft, and, at the depth of eight feet beneath the apex, came upon the now customary carefully packed lumps of chalk, covering a skeleton, (No. 4,) which lay on its left side, with the head towards the north, the face consequently looking to the east, the arms were folded across the body, so that the hands rested at the knees which were so tightly gathered up that the skeleton occupied a space of only thirty five inches in length by sixteen in width. The thigh bone measured eighteen inches in length, giving a height of six feet one inch. Upon a careful examination of the vertebral column, I found it to be nearly straight. The six lower vertebrse were undisturbed, and at regular distances from each other of a quarter of an inch, which is the thickness of the cartilage. But between the sixth and seventh there was an interval of an inch, and between the seventh and eighth of an inch and a quarter. The three next vertebrae touched each other, and from the eleventh, the column became evenly curved. Near the head was placed a piece of the antler of an old stag, which bore the mark of a cutting tool, and several other pieces were amongst the lumps of chalk. I did not observe any pottery.


No. 3. This is an interesting head; although smaller than the last, it is characterised by more intellect and greater force of character.
The basilar region, although large, is not disproportioned to the intellect and moral sentiments, which are finely developed; veneration, caution, and firmness, are all full. The reflective organs, large; destructiveness, which is active, and the sexual organs are amongst the most prominent of the propensities. This was the head of an individual who was cautious, thoughtful, conscientious, and well fitted for an intellectual and responsible position. He was sensitive of distinction, but not stooping to servile means to obtain it. His opinions were not hastily taken up, but once formed, they were not easily relinquished. It was the skull of a youth, and I should say, a male.
No. 4. This head, was much damaged, but enough was present to shew that it represented a man of intellectual superiority. I should say that here were high endowments, but not so harmoniously blended as those of No. 3, and the head which succeeds this. The back is relatively more depressed.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 453 (Monograph). SDO150.

(89) Bowl (SZ 08SW; 03978129). Diam. 27 ft., ht. 3 ft. Hollowed on top. Austen found a primary contracted inhumation in a chalk-cut grave 3 ft. deep, with urn fragments and human bones in the filling. A child inhumation lay on the chalk at lip of grave and gragments of another occurred near surface of mound (Purbeck Papers I, 162-3).

<4> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1968, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1967, 140-141 (Serial). SDO67.

<5> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 305 (Index). SDO147.

Bowl barrow, diam. 11.3m and ht. 0.3m. Situated on the S. side of an E-W footpath. A faint rise covered in gorse and grass. It has a hollowed by past excavation and its S. edge has been damaged. In rough grazing land.
1/2/C TWA/IOP/1985

Record last edited

Dec 7 2024 8:00AM