Inside Ballowall Barrow sits a domed central mound ringed by two concentric drystone walls, with five small stone-lined cists — some holding Bronze Age pottery and burnt bone over a pit, plus two T-shaped pits that may be graves. An outer cairn of broadstone forms an apron, and set into its edge is an entrance grave, a chambered tomb form typical of West Penwith, which yielded Bronze Age pottery and cremated bone. Human remains are held in the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro 🪨
Five cists, concentric walls and an entrance grave form the barrow's core
EnglandExcavation
Key facts
- The monument comprises a central domed mound ringed by two concentric drystone walls.
- Inside were five small stone-lined cists; some contained Bronze Age pottery and burnt bone with a pit beneath, alongside two T-shaped pits that may have been graves.
- Around that core lies an outer cairn of broadstone forming a platform or apron, with two further cists built against the central mound.
- An entrance grave, a chambered tomb form typical of West Penwith, is set into the outer edge of the apron and yielded Bronze Age pottery and cremated bone.
- Borlase's account describes a monument combining Neolithic and Bronze Age traits with several phases of use from the Neolithic through the Middle Bronze Age.
- Human remains from the excavation are held in the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro, with some material reportedly in the British Museum.
Sources
Historic England Research Recordsheritagegateway.org.uk
Summary : Ballowall Barrow is prehistoric funerary cairn which incorporates multiple phases of use and funerary practice spanning the Neolithic and Middle ...
Ballowall Barrow - HistoryGPShistorygps.com
It is managed by English Heritage as a scheduled monument. The site stands in open moorland and is freely accessible at all times. Ballowall Barrow is a ...
Ballowall Barrow - AllDaysOut!alldaysout.co.uk
In a spectacular cliff-edge position, this unique Bronze Age tomb had a long and complex history as a sacred site.
Ballowall Barrow Facts for Kidskids.kiddle.co
Ballowall Barrow is a protected site, known as a Scheduled monument. This means it's a very important historical place that is looked after by ...
The Ballowall Barrow incorporating entrance grave, cairn, ...historicengland.org.uk
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national ...
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