Addington long barrow
Encyclopedia
Addington long barrow is a badly damaged Neolithic
chambered long barrow
near Addington
in the English
county of Kent
. It is one of a group of monuments known as the Medway megaliths
.
It is rectangular long barrow measures 61 metres (200.1 ft) in length and varies from 14 metres (45.9 ft) to 11 metres (36.1 ft) in width as it narrows. It is oriented northeast–southwest. The edge of the barrow is marked by a kerb
and the remains of the chamber may be indicated by a number of fallen stones at the northeastern end.
A road runs through the middle of the barrow and when it was expanded in 1827, two stones from the kerb were removed and placed in woodland south of the monument. In 1845, L.B. Larking, a local parson dug into the barrow, finding pieces of 'rough pottery'
In 1981, archaeologists surveyed the site identifying 25 original stones on all four sides of the structure, forming the kerb. A slight depression surrounding the mound may indicate the presence of a surrounding ditch. It and the nearby Chestnuts long barrow
are open for public viewing by appointment with the landowner.
There is an official website at http://uk.geocities.com/addington.neolithATbtinternet.com/ which details background, location and access to both the Addington Longbarrow and the nearby Chestnuts burial chamber.
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
chambered long barrow
Chambered long barrow
Chambered long barrows are a type of megalithic burial monument found in the British Isles in the Neolithic.Long barrows either contained wooden or stone burial structures beneath the barrow and the surviving megalithic stone in the latter means that they are the ones referred to by archaeologists...
near Addington
Addington, Kent
Addington is a village in the English county of Kent close to the M20 motorway between Wrotham Heath and West Malling. It was known as Eddintune in the Domesday Book. The meaning of Addington is Æddi's estate...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. It is one of a group of monuments known as the Medway megaliths
Medway megaliths
The Medway megaliths or Medway tombs are names given to a group of Neolithic chambered long barrows and other megaliths located in the lower valley of the River Medway in the English county of Kent...
.
It is rectangular long barrow measures 61 metres (200.1 ft) in length and varies from 14 metres (45.9 ft) to 11 metres (36.1 ft) in width as it narrows. It is oriented northeast–southwest. The edge of the barrow is marked by a kerb
Megalithic architectural elements
This article describes several characteristic architectural elements typical of European megalithic structures.-Forecourt:In archaeology, a forecourt is the name given to the area in front of certain types of chamber tomb...
and the remains of the chamber may be indicated by a number of fallen stones at the northeastern end.
A road runs through the middle of the barrow and when it was expanded in 1827, two stones from the kerb were removed and placed in woodland south of the monument. In 1845, L.B. Larking, a local parson dug into the barrow, finding pieces of 'rough pottery'
In 1981, archaeologists surveyed the site identifying 25 original stones on all four sides of the structure, forming the kerb. A slight depression surrounding the mound may indicate the presence of a surrounding ditch. It and the nearby Chestnuts long barrow
Chestnuts long barrow
The Chestnuts long barrow is a Neolithic chambered long barrow near Addington in the English county of Kent. It is one of a group of monuments known as the Medway megaliths....
are open for public viewing by appointment with the landowner.
There is an official website at http://uk.geocities.com/addington.neolithATbtinternet.com/ which details background, location and access to both the Addington Longbarrow and the nearby Chestnuts burial chamber.