Soussons Down Ring Cairn
N 50° 35.578 W 003° 52.390
30U E 438196 N 5604926
An abondoned Bronze Age grave dating between circa 2,500 – 600 BC.
Waymark Code: WMP97
Location: South West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/03/2006
Views: 55
A ring cairn is a prehistoric ritual monument comprising a circular bank of stones up to about 20m in diameter surrounding a hollow central area. The bank may be kerbed on the inside, and sometimes the outside as well, with small uprights or laid boulders. Within the central hollow there may be charcoal-filled pits and sometimes burials, occasionally under small mounds.
Ring cairns are mainly found in upland areas of England, and are mostly discovered and authenticated by fieldwork and ground-level survey. Some ring cairns are large enough to be visible on aerial photographs, although surface checking is usually needed to authenticate interpretation.
This burial cairn is a good example with the grave (Kistvaen) in the centre being clearly seen unfortunately idiots have had a fire inside the Kist. This Grave was excavated in 1903 and at that time some braids of Human hair were found - thought to be buried for witchcraft or superstitious purposes and not that of the original occupant.