Cannabaceae

Long Bredy bank barrow on Martin's Down, Dorset, U.K.

A bank barrow, sometimes referred to as a barrow-bank, ridge barrow, or ridge mound, is a type of tumulus first identified by O.G.S. Crawford in 1938.

In the United Kingdom, these take the form of a long, sinuous, parallel-sided mound, approximately uniform in height and width along its length, and usually flanked by ditches on either side. They may be the result of a single phase of construction, or be the result of the addition of one or more linear extensions to the bank of a pre-existing barrow. Although burials have been found within the mound, no burial chambers as such have been identified in bank barrows. These ancient monuments are of middle Neolithic date.

A possible bank barrow near Pentridge in Dorset, U.K. The barrow comprises two distinct parts: the taller narrower part (tree-covered) to the north-east and the wider flatter part (grass-covered) to the south-west. These parts are 50m and 90m long, respectively. Although they have been considered to be two cojoined long barrows, probing and aerial photography has revealed them to have a common continuous ditch (now ploughed out). Another suggestion is that the western part is a classic long barrow, with the eastern part as a tail that was added later.
A view along the 180 metre-long Broadmayne bank barrow in Dorset, U.K.

Fewer than ten bank barrows remain in the United Kingdom. Examples may be found at

References and further reading[edit]

  • 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 B.C. Geo Books. ISBN 0-86094-170-1.
  • Sharples, Niall M (1991). English Heritage Book of Maiden Castle. B. T. Batsford Ltd. ISBN 0-7134-6083-0.

External links[edit]

One thought on “Cannabaceae

  1. Well, that’s interesting to know that Psilotum nudum are known as whisk ferns. Psilotum nudum is the commoner species of the two. While the P. flaccidum is a rare species and is found in the tropical islands. Both the species are usually epiphytic in habit and grow upon tree ferns. These species may also be terrestrial and grow in humus or in the crevices of the rocks.
    View the detailed Guide of Psilotum nudum: Detailed Study Of Psilotum Nudum (Whisk Fern), Classification, Anatomy, Reproduction

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