Long Barrows from Gussage Down
The Long Barrows of Gussage Down (North and South - also called Gussage St Michael 3 + 4 or Gussage Cow Down North and South) are located about 225 m apart in Gussage St Michael at Blandford Forum in Dorset , England .
The Neolithic Long Barrows are two of about 300 Long Barrows in Scotland and England with a concentration in the south and east of England. The English hills are made of earth, so they are tumuli ( English barrows ). As with many long hills in the region, their long axis is oriented southeast-northwest, with the wider and flatter end in the southeast. The hills are related to the Dorset Cursus with which they were created around the same time. They lie on the ridge of Gussage Down and, like the other long dolmen from the Neolithic Age, can be seen from afar.
North hill
The hill is about 50.0 meters long and 25.0 meters wide at its widest point. Its parallel trenches are silted up, the hill itself is in good condition. Location: 50 ° 55 ′ 25.2 ″ N , 2 ° 0 ′ 40.8 ″ W.
South hill
The hill is about 64.0 meters long and 14.0 meters wide at its widest point. The hill is surrounded by a U-shaped, now filled ditch with the open end in the northwest towards the north hill. Location: 50 ° 55 ′ 18.7 ″ N , 2 ° 0 ′ 35.7 ″ W.
The excavations of other mounds yielded little useful information about the structure. The systems differ in detail. However, the wooden chamber always has an almost rectangular shape, which is defined by pits or posts on the front and rear walls.
literature
- Ashbee, Paul (1984). The Earthen Long Barrow in Britain: An Introduction to the Study of the Funerary Practice and Culture of the Neolithic People of the Third Millennium BC. Geo Books. ISBN 0-8609-4170-1 .
- Lynch, Frances (1997). Megalithic Tombs and Long Barrows in Britain. Shire Publications Ltd. ISBN 0-7478-0341-2 .
Map with all coordinates: