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This
is an impressive row of sixteen assorted barrows that form a line nearly
a kilometer 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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