Summary

Two round cairns, 353m WNW and 480m south west of Old Stell.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 26 May 2016. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

The monument includes the remains of two round cairns of Bronze Age date, situated on the south and south west facing slopes of a hill overlooking Sandyford Burn. The northernmost cairn lies a little below the summit of the hill and measures approximately 18.2m in diameter and stands to a maximum height of 2m. Partial 19th century excavation uncovered a central cist oriented north east to south west containing bone and some burnt stone. The second cairn is situated about 370m SSW of the first cairn, on the lower slopes of the hill. This cairn has a diameter of about 8.5m and stands to a maximum height of 0.8m. The cairn was partially excavated by Canon Greenwell in the 19th century and found to contain a cist with a cover slab, containing an inhumation and a Bronze Age pot known as a Beaker. Resting on the stone cover was an upturned urn containing the cremated remains of two adults and a flint knife. Further archaeological remains exist in the vicinity of this monument, but are not included as they have not been assessed.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as stone mounds covering single or multiple burials. These burials may be placed within the mound in stone-lined compartments called cists. In some cases the cairn was surrounded by a ditch. Often occupying prominent locations, cairns are a major visual element in the modern landscape. They are a relatively common feature of the uplands and are the stone equivalent of the earthen round barrows of the lowlands. Their considerable variation in form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection.

The two round cairns west of Old Stell Crag are reasonably well-preserved and provide insight into Bronze Age cosmology and funerary rituals. Excavation has shown the cairns to contain archaeological deposits relating to their use as burial mounds. The value of the monument is increased by its proximity to the Longstone Hill cairn cemetery which lies close to the north.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
PastScape Monument No:- 7339, 7345

Source: Historic England