Coldrum Long Barrow
The Coldrum Long Barrow is a chambered long barrow from the Early Neolithic period. Built out of earth and around fifty local sarsen-stone megaliths, it consisted of a sub-rectangular earthen tumulus enclosed by kerb-stones. Within the eastern end of the tumulus was a stone chamber, into which human remains were deposited on at least two separate occasions. In local folklore, the site became associated with the burial of a prince and the countless stones motif.
About Coldrum Long Barrow in brief
The Coldrum Long Barrow is a chambered long barrow from the Early Neolithic period. It is located near the village of Trottiscliffe in the south-eastern English county of Kent. Built out of earth and around fifty local sarsen-stone megaliths, it consisted of a sub-rectangular earthen tumulus enclosed by kerb-stones. Within the eastern end of the tumulus was a stone chamber, into which human remains were deposited on at least two separate occasions. Osteoarchaeological analysis of these remains has shown them to be those of at least seventeen individuals, a mixture of men, women, and children. At least one of the bodies had been dismembered before burial, potentially reflecting a funerary tradition of excarnation and secondary burial. As with other barrows, Coldrum has been interpreted as a tomb to house the remains of the dead, perhaps as part of a belief system involving ancestor veneration. In local folklore, the site became associated with the burial of a prince and the countless stones motif. The monument fell into a state of ruined dilapidation, perhaps experiencing deliberate destruction in the Late Medieval period, either by Christian iconoclasts or treasure hunters. In 1926, ownership was transferred to heritage charity The National Trust. The stones are the site of a rag tree, a May Day morris dance, and various modern Pagan rituals. The Coldrum Stones are named after a nearby farm, Coldum Lodge, which has since been demolished. The site is also positioned about 500 metres from a prehistoric track known as the Pilgrims’ Way.
The tomb can be reached along a pathway known as Coldrum Lane, which is accessible only on foot. The village of Addington is located 2. 012 kilometres away, and the nearest car park to Coldrum lane can be found off Pinesfield Lane in Trott iscliffe. It lies near to both Addington and Chestnuts Long Barrows on the western side of the river. Two further surviving long barrows are located on the Medway’s eastern side, as well as possible survivals such as the Coffin Stone and White Horse Stone, near the River Medway. The region of modern Kent would have been key for the arrival of continental European settlers and visitors, because of its position on the estuary of the River Thames and its proximity to the continent. Britain was then largely forested; widespread clearance did not occur in Kent until the Late Bronze Age. Across Western Europe, the early Neolithic marked the first period in which humans built monumental structures in the landscape. Throughout most of Britain, there is evidence of little permanent dwellings, with little evidence of cereal or cereal or amygdalae dwellings from this period, leading archaeologists to believe that the island’s early settlers were largely pastoral, relying on herding cattle, with people living a nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle. This is the first time that humans built a rectangular tumulus or oval tumulus.
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This page is based on the article Coldrum Long Barrow published in Wikipedia (as of Oct. 31, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
