| Description | English Heritage Scheduled Ancient Monument Description for SAM 31487: 'The monument includes a ring cairn (Barrow), situated on Harden Moor, on level ground 310m north of Woodhead.
The cairn is about 13m overall diameter. It consists of a circular heather covered bank approximately 2.5m wide and attaining a maximum height of 0.4m. There are orthostats forming a kerb on the inside edge of the bank, and a possible outer kerb is formed by well embedded recumbent stones, about 0.5m across. These stones are most visible on the east side. On the west side a short stretch of bank has been disturbed and there are two earth mounds protruding 5m from the inner kerb. These may relate to an excavation in 1959 which recovered prehistoric pottery. A small hole 0.5m wide near the centre of the cairn may also relate to excavation.'
Excavation of the barrow in 1959 produced a cremation urn, fragments of 3 others, a food vessel and part of a pygmy cup. The cairn cemetery described by S.Feather, the excavator of the barrow, comprised 4 cairns centred at SE 0753 3865. Earlier antiquarians, e.g. Butler Wood, described 20 barrows on Harden Moor, of which, apart from the ring barrow and the small cairn cemetery, nothing was said to survive in the early 1960s. The most recent excavation was by Bradford University (in June/July 1983). This was undertaken by Julian Henderson, but it is uncertain what his results were and whether he did any survey as well as excavation.
An interim statement (no plans) by Julian Henderson is deposited with YAS (MS1609). Slides (not seen) of this excavation have been deposited in the YAS Library Collection. Henderson notes that the site comprised a ring cairn and the probable remains of a stone circle. After the initial clearance of the full site area, the areas that had been dug in 1959 could be distinguished. The excavation concentrated on the south western quadrant, an undisturbed area. The excavated area included the bank, an area of c. 5m around the outside of the bank, and the south west segment of the interior including the central burial pit. Removal of the peaty surface layer revealled evidence of a series of rough kerb stones around the outside edge of the bank, and also a massive club shaped stone lying on its side and partly sealed by the bank material. It was not determined whether the stone ever stood erect, two small uprights at its base may have acted as wedges. A line of small edge set stones traversing the width of the bank led to one end of this large stone. A second massive boulder, lense shape, was also partly sealed by the bank make up and similarly orientated across the bank.
A section of the bank make up was removed to reveal a hard iron pan layer appearing to seal a layer of bright yellow sand. Small circular features were evident, one of which was cross sectioned and proved to be a post hole. Partial excavation of the interior of the cairn revealed disturbances dating to the post war period. However, the surface of the bank on its inner edge in the excavated quadrant was found to be relatively undisturbed. A re excavation of the central burial pit produced a chert point, urn frags, charcoal and a large amount of calcined bone. Two shallow pits were found during excavation outside the bank and a series of four gullies running in a SSW NNE direction from the western edge of the site. |