Monument record MDO7999 - Bronze Age ditched bowl barrow, Ballard Down, Swanage

A ditched bowl barrow, the eastermost of a group of three barrows on Ballard Down. Excavation by Rev Austen in 1857 revealed primary contracted inhumation, a secondary infant inhumation, other bones and a collared urn. In 1967 the upper part of an inverted collared urn associated with bone fragments were recovered from the area of the mound.

SZ 04008130. Ditched Bowl barrow, 16 paces diameter and 4 1/2 feet high. Opened by J.H. Austen who found a primary inhumation - probably crouched. A secondary inhumation of an infant with other bones nearby were also found. An Early/Middle Bronze Age urn, probably collared, was also seen. <2-4> <6>

Turf-covered and truncated bowl barrow, 15 metres in diameter and 1.4 metres high. Slight traces of an irregular ditch occupies the south and west quandrants. In the east the barrow is trenched. <5>

SZ 03998129. (90) Ditched bowl barrow, 48 feet in diameter and 3 feet high. Excavated by Austen. (similar information as Authority 6). Two round barrows at the east end of Ballard Down. <7>

No change to Authority 7 but National Grid Reference should read SZ 03998130 - 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 southeastern barrow of the three and survives as an earthwork with a mound 15 metres in diameter and 1.0 metre high. Its ditch was visible as a slight earthworth during the 1960s. Partial excavation of the mound by J H Austin in 1857 located a primary inhumation and a secondary infant inhumation associated with animal bones and an urn. In 1967 the upper part of an inverted collared urn associated with bone fragments were recovered from the area of the mound. <11>

The Bronze Age pond barrow is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs on Ballard Down <13>. The barrow is the easternmost of a group of three. The barrow is formed of a mound measuring 13 m in diameter, surrounded by a ditch measuring up to 2 m in width. This site was digitally plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

<1> Ordnance Survey, Various, Ordnance Survey Map 6in. Prov. Ed (Map). SWX2257.

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

<2> Davis, Joseph Barnard, 1865, Crania Britannica: Delineations and Descriptions of the Skulls of the Aboriginal and Early Inhabitants of the British Islands, 45 (Monograph). SWX8389.

<3> Austen, J H, 1856-7, Purbeck Papers 1, 162-3 (Monograph). SWX4501.

On the 25th of August, I proceeded to examine the second barrow, which is situated at the east angle of the group. It measured fifty paces in diameter, and appeared to have been previously opened ; but, upon sinking a roomy shaft, the stratum of mouldy earth occurred at a short depth beneath its apex,
which proved that it had not, and at the depth of three and a half feet was the skeleton of an infant, which occupied a space of only one foot in diameter. It rested upon the native chalk, at
about one foot east of the centre of the barrow, and at the edge of (what seemed to be) a cist, of four feet diameter from east to west, three feet from north to south, and three feet deep beneath
the surrounding level. No remains were discovered in it, although at a short distance, on the north side of the centre, at two feet deep were a few human bones, with a jaw bone, and portions
of a broken urn, (pi. xv, fig. 1,) which had evidently been of large dimensions, about twelve inches high, by ten in diameter. Three inches below the lip, was a shoulder half an inch in depth, the
intermediate space being ornamented by incisions or scratches half an inch long. Similar scratches, in a zigzag, ran round the edge of the lip, which was three quarters of an inch thick. Three inches below the shoulder there was a bulge ornamented with a single course of the thumb and finger pattern. Nearer to the surface, beneath several thin sand-stones were portions of a skull and jaw bone, with other bones of a child. Having thus far failed in discovering the primary deposit, I made a cutting
from the centre towards the north, and found that the loose rubble, with its sub-stratum of chalk lumps, and in fact the cist, continued in that direction. Upon this having been cleared, a skeleton, (No. 5,) became exposed, resting upon the native chalk on the north side of the centre. It lay in the direction of east and west, with the head towards the east, but upon the left side, with the face consequently looking towards the south. The knees were gathered up to within four inches of the chin, the heels being placed at six inches from the thigh bone. The right arm was doubled back, so that the hand rested upon the neck, the elbow of which was below, or under the thigh bone; the left hand was under the face. The sixth, seventh, and eighth vertebrae appeared to have been displaced. The thigh bone measured seventeen inches, which gives a height of five feet eleven inches. The whole deposit occupied a space of two feet four inches long, by fourteen inches wide. The cist measured seven feet from east to west, by six feet from north to south, and six feet in depth from the apex of the barrow. The only other reliques observed, were two oyster shells.

No. 5. This, like No. 3, is of a youth. It is highly organized, but in general form relatively longer, and differs somewhat in phrenological developement. It is of an individual who was less thoughtful and not so cautious, and possessed more confidence. Philo-progenitiveness is larger, and the feelings generally strong; but the sentiments are harmoniously combined; the temperament was evidently good.

<4> Warne, C, 1866, The Celtic Tumuli of Dorset (1866) (Monograph). SWX8166.

<5> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 01-SEP-1952 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<6> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 133, 172 (Monograph). SDO132.

<7> 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.

(90) Ditched Bowl (SZ 08 SW; 03998129) 20 yds. E. of (89). Diam. 48 ft., ht. 3 ft. Austen found a probably 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 the lip of grave and fragments of another occurred near surface of mound (Purbeck Papers I, 162-3).

<8> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 306 (Index). SDO147.

Diam. 14.6 m and ht. 0.9 m. Situated on the S. side of an E-W footpath. A faint rise covered in nettles and grass, flattened on top by past excavation. A N-S hedge passes immediately E. of the mound. A direction stone erected on the N. side.
1/2/C TWA/IOP/1985

<9> Wardale, C F, Various, Field Investigators Comments CFW, F2 CFW 16-AUG-1985 (Unpublished document). SWX2704.

<10> Papworth, M, 1992, Whitecliff Farm, Purbeck, Dorset, Wessex Region, 12 (Unpublished document). SWX1387.

A ditched bowl barrow, visible as a prominent rise 15m dia. and 1.4m high with slight traces of a ditch on the south side. Excavated by Austen (1869 p162) and consequently the top of the mound appears truncated, from the sinking of a ‘roomy shaft’ through the centre of the mound. “On the 25th August (1857) I proceeded to examine the second barrow, which is situated at the east angle of the group. It measured fifty paces in diameter, and, appeared to have been previously opened; but upon sinking a roomy shaft, the stratum of mouldy earth occurred at a short depth beneath its apex, which proved that it had not, and at the depth of three and a half feet was the skeleton of an infant, which occupied a space of only one foot In diameter. It rested on the native chalk, at about one foot, east of the centre of the barrow, and at the edge of (what seemed to be) a cist, of four feet diameter from east to west, three feet from north to south, and three feet deep beneath the surrounding level. No remains were discovered in it, although at a short distance, on the north side of the centre, at two feet deep were a few human bones, with a jaw bone, and portions of a broken urn which had evidently been of large proportions, about twelve inches high by ten in diameter (fig. 5)… Nearer the surface, beneath several thin sand-stones were portions of a skull and jaw bone, with other bones of a child. Having thus far failed in discovering the primary deposit, I made a cutting from the centre towards the north, and found loose rubble, with its sub-stratum of chalk lumps, and in fact the cist continued in that direction. Upon this having been cleared, a skeleton became exposed, resting upon the native chalk on the north side of the centre. It lay in the direction of east and west, with the head towards the east, but on the left side, with the face consequently looking towards the south. The knees were gathered up to within four inches of the chin, the heels being placed at six inches from the thigh bone. The right arm was doubled back, so the hand rested upon the neck, the elbow of which was below, or under the thigh bone; the left hand was under the face… The thigh bone measured seventeen inches, which gives a height of five feet eleven inches. The whole deposit occupied a space of two feet four inches long, by fourteen inches wide. The cist measured seven feet from east to west by six feet from north to south, and six feet in depth from the apex of the barrow. The only other religues observed were two oyster shells.” The collared urn from Austin’s excavation is similar to the one found in 112,125 in 1967 (fig. 4). A barrow is shown at this location on Woodward’s map (1775)

<11> English Heritage, Scheduled Monument Notification, 25-Jun-01 (Scheduling record). SDO17381.

<12> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<13> National Monuments Record, 18-NOV-2006, SZ 0481/28-34 NMR/24138/09-16 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12810.

<14> National Record of the Historic Environment, 457616 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

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

SZ 04008130. Ditched Bowl barrow, 16 paces diameter and 4 1/2 feet high. Opened by J.H. Austen who found a primary inhumation - probably crouched. A secondary inhumation of an infant with other bones nearby were also found. An Early/Middle Bronze Age urn, probably collared, was also seen. (2-5)

Turf-covered and truncated bowl barrow, 15 metres in diameter and 1.4 metres high. Slight traces of an irregular ditch occupies the south and west quandrants. In the east the barrow is trenched. (6)

SZ 03998129. (90) Ditched bowl barrow, 48 feet in diameter and 3 feet high. Excavated by Austen. (similar information as Authority 5).
Two round barrows at the east end of Ballard's Down. Scheduled (7)

No change to Authority 7 but National Grid Reference should read SZ 03998130 - Barrow on grassland, in good condition, 117 metres OD. Surveyed at 1:2500. (8)

One of a group of three round barrows situated on Ballard Down. The bowl barrow is the southeastern barrow of the three and survives as an earthwork with a mound 15 metres in diameter and 1.0 metre high. Its ditch was visible as a slight earthworth during the 1960s. Partial excavation of the mound by J H Austin in 1857 located a primary inhumation and a secondary infant inhumation associated with animal bones and an urn. In 1967 the upper part of an inverted collared urn associated with bone fragments were recovered from the area of the mound. (9)

Record last edited

Dec 7 2024 8:01AM