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This
is an impressive row of sixteen assorted barrows
that form a line nearly a kilometre in length that starts close to the
western end of the Stonehenge Cursus, passes
through Fargo Plantation and ends in open fields about 700 metres northwest
of Stonehenge itself. The slightly staggered
linear cemetery follows an west-east alignment roughly parallel to the
cursus
with most of the barrows being about 120-150 metres south of the southern
flank of the earthwork although one stands much closer and another pair
including a rare disc barrow stand slightly further away. One barrow
and a ring ditch are actually sited within the western end of the cursus
itself but for some reason are not considered as part of this 'Cursus
Group'. The barrows shown above are located at the eastern end of the
row and are clearly visible from Stonehenge. Closest to the camera is
a large bell barrow (also shown inset) with its mound standing about
3.5 metres tall and measuring about 25 metres in diameter set within
a wide berm and ditch that gives the whole monument an external diameter
of nearly 60 metres. Just beyond it the lower mound is part of a double
bell barrow set within an oval ditch of 42 metres by 33 metres, one
mound measures 17 metres diameter by 2.5 metres tall, the other is slightly
smaller at 15 metres diameter and 1.7 metres tall. Beyond this is a
slight gap (above the brown calf on the left) followed by a further
four barrows, a bell barrow is clearly visible while behind it a pair
of bell barrows and a bowl barrow are largely obscured. Further west
are another five bowl barrows, the previously mentioned disk barrow
and a large bell barrow on the western edge of Fargo Plantation known
as the Monarch of the Plain (shown below).
Being so close to Stonehenge the barrows in this group have received
much attention since at least the 18th century with antiquarian and
later excavations uncovering both inhumations and cremation remains,
as well as a range of grave goods including bronze daggers and awls,
amber and faience beads, a flint dagger, beakers and urns. Intriguingly
one mound was found to contain fragments of bluestone, presumably chippings
from the same Welsh stones found within Stonehenge. The barrows all
appear to be of Bronze Age date and are roughly contemporary with the
final Phase III of building at Stonehenge although a hengi-form monument
within the group may date to the late Neolithic.
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