Record Details
| NHER Number: | 13178 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Possible Bronze Age round barrow, east of Collis Lane |
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Summary
A ring ditch visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs probably marks the site of a Bronze Age round barrow. It is situated on the southeast side of a short spur of land, a topographically distinctive location typical of Bronze Age funerary monuments. Other ring ditches visible nearby, e.g. NHER 15514 178m to the west and NHER 43430 75m to the south, are likely to have had a similar origin as prehistoric burial mounds. Two very large ring ditches visible approximately 335m to the northwest may also be prehistoric and these too may have had a ceremonial or funerary function. All these sites are surrounded by the cropmarks of a multi-period field system (NHER 43426).
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TG 4844 1815 |
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| Map Sheet: | TG41NE |
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| Parish: | SOMERTON, GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK |
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Full description
Cropmark noted as ring ditch by A. Lawson (NAU).
However, row of marks of infilled pits nearby, and what appears to be a minute 'ring ditch' to its north, make it suspicious.
Plotted by E. Rose (NAU), 6 February 1978.
March 2006. Norfolk NMP.
The pits mentioned above are now recorded as NHER 43424. NMP mapping has led to the alteration of the central grid reference of the site from TG 4839 1814 to TG 4844 1816.
The ring ditch described above is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs (S1)-(S2). Contrary to the statement above, the cropmark does appear to represent a genuine archaeological feature. This is despite the numerous geological cropmarks visible around it, including the ‘minute ring ditch’ mentioned above. Given the proximity of several other ring ditches and the general character of the site, it seems most likely that it represents the remains of a prehistoric burial mound. This was presumably a Bronze Age round barrow, although possible Neolithic oval barrows have been identified nearby, including NHER 15514 178m to the west. The ring ditch is surrounded by the cropmarks of a multi-period field system (NHER 43426); its relationship with this more extensive site is not known but, like the other ring ditches in the vicinity, it probably pre-dates it.
The ring ditch is roughly circular in shape. A break in the ditch circuit is as likely to reflect the cropmark being masked as the presence of a genuine causeway. The site measures approximately 14m in diameter.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 23 March 2006.
Monument Types
- RING DITCH (Unknown date)
- RING DITCH (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
- ROUND BARROW (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status
Sources and further reading
| --- | Aerial Photograph: TG 4818B,C,D,E. |
| --- | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| <S1> | Oblique Aerial Photograph: CUCAP. 1973. NHER TG 4818J (CUCAP BOB91) 05-JUL-1973. |
| <S2> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1976. NHER TG 4818B-C (NLA 32/AGC1-2) 13-JUL-1976. |
Related records - none
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