More information : NZ 0574 0741. How Tallon (NAT) (Tumulus) (NR). (1)
Several barbed and tanged arrowheads and some leaf-shaped varieties usually associated with Neolithic times were found in a tumulus on How Tallon, a Bronze Age cisted barrow (3a). They are in Bowes Museum. (2-3-3a)
How Tallon is a turf-covered round cairn, 14 m in diameter and 1 m maximum height. The centre of the cairn has been mutilated and spoil dumped to one side, but there is no trace of a cist. An OS triangulation pillar has been erected approximately 2 m to the north west of the centre and a modern wall overlaps the cairn to the south east. Surveyed at 1:10 000. (4)
NZ 0575 0742. How Tallon stone cairn was excavated in 1897, and 1936 by Gatty and Milbank who found sherds of food vessel and Beaker, flints and human skeletal remains. Now in the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle. (5)
Fragments of Beaker (Corpus No 1237) from How Tallon listed as `Indeterminate' group by Clarke. (6)
No change. Additional survey at 1:500 made. (7)
The site was visited by RCHME during a survey of scheduled monuments in County Durham.
How Tallon survives as a flat-topped stone cairn, now predominantly turf-covered, which has a maximum diameter of 14.5 m, and a height of 1.5 m. A slight depression up to 2.5 m in diameter and 0.2 m deep is located in the centre of the summit of the cairn. The cairn is sub-circular in plan with no visible structural details. A concrete OS triangulation pillar is sited upon the north summit of the cairn. Excavations in 1897 recovered artefacts suggesting a broadly Bronze Age context for the use of the cairn, although the presence of leaf-shaped arrowheads in the artefact record may indicate a Neolithic presence at this site. (8-9)
NZ 0573 0740. How Tallon round barrow and cup marked stones. Scheduled RSM No 24510. A section of the modern field wall which runs over the cairn from east to west is included in the scheduling as it contains a number of prehistoric cup-marked stones. (10)
Cairn excavated in September 1897, initially under the supervision of Reginald Gatty, and subsequently observed by Sir Frederick Milbank. The two episodes were separated by "equinoctial gales and accompanying rain". 5 inhumations and an empty cist were found, along with Beaker and Food Vessel sherds and various flints. Gatty's sketch plan shows the mound as markedly oval in shape. The burials, in the order discovered, were as follows:
(i) a trench was dug on the south side of the mound, presumably aiming for the centre. Bones were found after just 3 feet, and apparently belonged to an adult male "in the prime of his life" [sic]. The body had apparently been placed no more than two feet below the surface of the cairn.
(ii) Continuing the trench in a northerly direction towards the centre of the mound, an upright stone was observed. Clearing the area around it, it proved to represent part of a collapsed cist that had been inserted into the summit of the mound. Within it were the remains of another adult male inhumation, accompanied by the remains of a Food Vessel, two broken barbed and tanged arrowheads (both appear to have been broken prior to deposition), a plano-convex knife and a scraper, plus an ox tooth.
(iii) A cist, empty, and apparently beneath the centre of the cairn.
(iv) Immediately above the central cist was another inhumation, accompanied by sherds of a Beaker and a flint implement which cannot be precisely identified among the surviving finds.
(v) "we went further forward with the digging, and near at hand we came upon what, I consider, was the body of a woman, as the bones and jaw were smaller". The published sketch plan suggests that by this stage, the labourers were not simply continuing in a northerly direction. One inhumation is shown west of the central cist, and another to the east. Their depth below the surface is not given. One is clearly this suggested female burial, the other is
(vi) "A little further on there was another body, and near to it" were some flints identified at the time as 3 scrapers and a sharp pointed flint, although again these cannot be definitely identified among the surviving assemblage. Some of the scrapers may have actually been utilised flakes.
Two leaf-shaped arrowheads are among a handful of items found during the excavations but lacking a context. They do not seem to have been associated directly with any of the burials. In any case, their presence need not indicate a Neolithic date for any of the burials of the cairn itself.
NB Laurie (1977) erroneously stated that Gatty and Milbank excavated the cairn again in 1936, something described by Coggins and Clews (1980) as "a myth". In fact, the finds and some archival material were transferred to the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham in 1936. (5, 9, 11)
Several decorated cobbles disturbed during the excavations were built into a wall over the cairn afterwards, without any record being made of them.(12)
The information for these panels of rock art was recorded by the NADRAP project. Assessments were made 2005-2008 building on the data in the Beckensall Archive.
The Bronze-Age barrow has been excavated over the last 150 years. Some of the marked stones have since been removed. During the recording process, two other possible single cup marked stones were noted and another stone with a single cup also reappeared. Other stones are undoubtedly in the wall or cairn, but removal from the site shouldn’t be discounted.
Barningham Moor 061 (ERA 863) this particular carving being the best example remaining. The cups are well formed and there is little doubt that those on side ‘A’ are artificial, with at least two cups displaying peck marks. On side ‘B’, several more indentations can be seen, although these may have been formed through natural weathering processes. All edges, apart from one are rounded, this may suggest it once formed part of a larger stone
Barningham Moor 143 (ERA 992) The stone could not be located during the project.
Barningham Moor 144 (ERA 993) This stone was originally found within How Tallon cairn and has a single cup mark. It could not be located during the project.
Barningham Moor 145 (ERA 994) This rectangular shaped stone was originally found in How Tallon cairn. It is recorded as having two sides bearing cup marks. It could not be located during the project.
Barningham Moor 146 (ERA 995) This small square portable stone was originally found in How Tallon cairn and bears five cups on one side. It could not be located during the project.
Barningham Moor 147 (ERA 996) This elongated portable stone was originally found in How Tallon cairn and bears approx. fifteen cups on one side. It could not be located during the project.
(13)
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