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Viewing swaag.org website implies consent to set cookies on your computer. Full details Swaledale and Arkengarthdale Archaeology Group
Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation Number 1155775
SWAAG Honorary President:
Tim Laurie F,S,A,

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 *****SWAAG_ID***** 150
 Date Entered 05/03/2011
 Updated on 05/03/2011
 Recorded by Tim Laurie
 Category Ring Cairns
 Record Type Archaeology
 Site Access Public Access Land
 Record Date 01/01/2005
 Location Harkerside Moor. Harker Mires.
 Civil Parish Grinton
 Brit. National Grid SE 035 976
 Altitude 340m
 Geology Lateral moraine and spring line draining into shallow mire over Middle Limestone series.
 Record Name Cairnfield type settlement complex centred on the Harker Mires Ring Cairn
 Record Description Bronze Age settlement landscape which extends across the moorland slopes west of Grinton Gill and below High Harker Hill but centred on the fine ring cairn at Harker Mires (this Ring Cairn is shown on the 1:25000 Scale Os Map as a Hut Circle) comprising well preserved and largely undisturbed ring cairn, cairnfield, six burnt mounds,an extensive field system with irregular shaped paddock like fields and structures which may represent an unenclosed settlement. The extensive coaxial field system runs downslope and is probably late Bronze age in origin. Later field banks associated with settlements located at lower elevation in the pastures east of Plaintree farm run upslope and abut this field system above Dykes House. For details of this Bronze Age Cairnfield Landscape see Laurie,T.C 1985. In: Spratt, D and Burgess, C. Eds. ' Upland Settlement in Britain. The Second Millenium B.C. and after. Ch. 8, Figure 8.4., Fleming and Laurie, 1989: SWALB Interim Report 1989, Figure 2 and Laurie,T.C. with Mahaffy N.W. and White R.F.'Coaxial field systems in Swaledale, a reassessment following recent fieldwork. Figure 8.4 and Plates 4 and 5.' Forthcoming.
SE 035 976 (Centre)
 Dimensions See surveys, Laurie 1985 Figure 8.4 and SWALB Interim Rpt 1989 Figure 2.
 Additional Notes This record emphasises the fact that the totality of this high elevation landscape is more important than the sum of its parts and Harker Mires could provide an open air laboratory for future research into the earliest permanent settlement of Swaledale. The Swaledale Ancient Land Boundaries Project Plan must be considered indicative, provisional and is currently under review. Many features, including the burnt mounds are not shown on this plan as they were not recognised being under deep heather at the time of the original survey. The fact that later field banks abut and respect the field boundaries running downslope from the high ground at Harker Mires confirms that the Bronze Age fields were still visible, possibly in continued use as mature hedges, with hedgerow trees.
 Image 5 ID 257         Click image to enlarge
 Image 5 Description The Harker Mires Settlement Landscape.
 Image 6 ID 258         Click image to enlarge
 Image 6 Description The Harker Mires Ring Cairn forms the focus for a large Bronze Age cairnfield type settlement complex.
 Image 7 ID 391         Click image to enlarge
 Image 7 Description Harker Mires Ring Cairn and Cairnfield settlement complex.
 
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