<< Our Photo Pages >> Samson, South Hill - Chambered Cairn in England in Isles of Scilly
Submitted by Thorgrim on Monday, 06 July 2009 Page Views: 17414
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Samson, South HillCountry: England County: Isles of Scilly Type: Chambered Cairn
Nearest Town: Samson Island
Map Ref: SV878124
Latitude: 49.930049N Longitude: 6.351873W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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Over eighty entrance graves have been recorded on the isles of Scilly . They vary a great deal in state of preservation. Most date to the late Neolithic period (+2500 BC) and continued in construction and use until as late as 700 BC. They are constructed of stone and earth and are circular in shape. Usually surrounded by a stone kerb, with a rectangular stone chamber constructed of stone and course walling and covered by large capstones. The entrances themselves vary in the direction they face, although the majority face Easterly to catch the rays of the rising sun. They vary a great deal in size perhaps reflecting the social standing of those buried there, and/or the different functions of the monuments themselves . From the human remains found in many of the chambers burial was a primary function for these sites. Cremation was the usual form with the bones deposited loose or in urns, occasionally accompanied by grave goods. In three chambers burials span a period of nearly 700 years. It is also likely that they were used as territorial markers, and places of ritual offering to ensure the fertility of the land, possibly linked to early field boundaries associated with many of the sites. There are four entrance graves on the rocky summit of South Hill with a dozen or more on the North Hill. The two hills of Samson are very similar to the Paps of Jura in Scotland and the Paps of Anu in Ireland.
Close by this chamber are the ruined cottages of the last people to live on Samson. The island was abandoned in the 19th century when almost all of the men were drowned while attempting to rescue people from a shipwreck. In the background, can be seen field walls on the sands which are only uncovered at low tide. There are many field walls and hut circles to be seen at the lowest tide when it is possible to walk from Samson to Bryher and from Bryher to Tresco. (See entry for Lyonesse) Samson is uninhabited, but access is available by boats from the main islands. Thorgrim
Note: Details of last week's open day for archaeological study, Samson, Isles of Scilly, see comment
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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
538m NNE 18° Samson Flats Intertidal Remains* Ancient Village or Settlement (SV880129)
655m N 349° Samson, North Hill* Burial Chamber or Dolmen (SV87711305)
844m N 351° Ballard Point Entrance Grave* Chambered Cairn (SV87711324)
1.7km N 357° Works Carn, Bryher* Chambered Cairn (SV87821413)
1.8km NE 44° Appletree Bay prehistoric field system* Ancient Village or Settlement (SV89101358)
1.8km N 357° Samson Hill, Bryher* Chambered Tomb (SV878142)
1.8km N 1° Bonfire Carn, Bryher* Chambered Cairn (SV87931424)
1.9km N 357° Top Rock Entrance Grave and Cairn* Chambered Cairn (SV8779914266)
2.0km NE 51° Bathinghouse Porth prehistoric field system and hut circle settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SV8942013561)
2.0km NNW 344° Heathy Hill Settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SV87361437)
2.1km N 357° Hillside Farm, Bryher* Chambered Tomb (SV878145)
2.3km N 0° Green Bay Prehistoric field system and Cist* Ancient Village or Settlement (SV87951465)
2.3km NE 34° Roman Altar at Tresco Gardens* Sculptured Stone (SV892142)
2.3km NNE 30° Abbey Hill Cairns* Barrow Cemetery (SV89051431)
2.6km NNW 342° Gweal Hill, Bryher* Chambered Tomb (SV87151492)
2.8km E 98° Carn Morval Down (3) Misc. Earthwork (SV90581182)
3.0km E 95° Carn Morval Down (1)* Chambered Tomb (SV90761199)
3.0km N 353° Shipman Head Chambered Cairn* Chambered Cairn (SV87621540)
3.0km E 88° Halangy Porth Cist* Cist (SV90851235)
3.0km SE 128° Porthcressa Barrow Cemetery (SV901104)
3.1km E 95° Carn Morval Down (2)* Cairn (SV90841196)
3.1km NNE 21° Vane Hill Cairns* Barrow Cemetery (SV89091519)
3.1km E 87° Halangy Lower* Chambered Cairn (SV90951240)
3.2km E 87° Halangy Down* Ancient Village or Settlement (SV90981237)
3.2km NE 35° Borough Cairn* Cairn (SV89761491)
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