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Summary

The remains of a chambered tomb with an almost circular, displaced capstone.

Protected Status: None recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 30729
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SW43NW 86.1

Monument Type(s):

• BARROW (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2501 BC)
• CHAMBERED TOMB (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2501 BC)
• CIST? (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2501 BC)

Full description

Edmunds in 1848 describes Bosporthennis cromlech as a small dismounted quoit (b1) and WC Borlase who excavated the site in 1872 records the site of an urn (30729.11). He also recounts the story of a miller said to have trimmed the corner stone intending to use it for a millstone but afterwards abandoning it (b3). Daniel in 1950 thinks it should properly be classed as a large surface cist (b6). The chamber, or cist, is about 1.2m high, 0.9m wide and 1.5m long. The capstone is nearly circular and 1.5m in diameter and about 0.15m thick. The slab that forms the south-west side is 1.8m long, the supporting stone on the other side is missing, and on that side the cover stone lies prostrate on the ground. The north-west end consists of a single stone, the south-east end consists of two stones. Around these remains is a heap of earth and stones forming the remains apparently of a barrow (30729) which once covered it (b1). The OS who surveyed the site at 1:2500 in 1961 record that Edmonds' description is correct, except that the single side stone is on the south side not the south-west as he states. This and the stone at the western end are upright and rest against each other. There are several stones at the eastern end but all are considerably smaller than that at the west, and are almost certainly not in situ (h1). Russell in 1971 lists the extant remains of a cist and displaced capstone (b7), and the OS who revisited the site in 1975 record no change from the survey of 1961 (h2). Weatherhill in 1977 suggests the monument may represent a transitional stage between the Penwith chamber tomb and a cist, being too small to be classified as the former but too large to be of the latter (h3, b8). Planned at 1:50 in 1983 by CCRA; the south-east end stone appears displaced. Small clearance stones dumped on 'capstone'. The cist appears slightly south of centre mound (h4, b10, b11, b12, b13). Bosporthennis Quoit is situated within a small rectangular field bounded by high and massively thick walls. The orthostats forming the chamber or cist are still deeply embedded in a stone and earth barrow, ovoid in plan and measuring 6.7m by 5.8m and reaching a height of 0.8m, with the scant remains of a kerb. The condition of the monument appears to have changed little since it was excavated by WC Borlase in 1872 who found sherds (30729.11) and calcined bones within the chamber (h3, b8). The site is described by Edmonds in 1848 (b1) and WC Borlase in 1872 (b3). It is also illustrated and mentioned by Blight (b2, b4). The OS in 1961 surveyed the site at 1:2500 and record a main barrow mound extending from it to the south, but nowhere more than 0.1m high, being almost ploughed out (h1, p1). The OS revisited the site in 1975 when they record no change from the 1961survey (h2). Russell in 1971 records the barrow and lists the extant remains of the cist and capstone (30729.1)(b7). The site was planned at 1:50 by CCRA in 1983 who record low kerb stones to the north and north-east; the mound was measured as 6.7m by 6.1m overall but approx 5.5m in diameter if the kerb continued its line to the south. The mound reaches approx 1.0m high (h4, b10, b11, b12, b13).
(b8) - Weatherhill, C, 1977, Pers Comm to CCRA, ,

--------------------------------
Site history:
1: 1961. PITCHER, GH / OS
2: 1975. QUINNELL, NV / OS
3: 1977. APJ, CT / CCRA, NT
4: 1983. CAU
--------------------------------

<1> Edmonds, R, 1848, On the Hill-Castles and Cliff-Castles of Penzance, VOL I, 199 (Article in Journal). SCO5202.

<2> Blight, JT, 1885, Churches of West Cornwall: with Notes of Antiquities of the Distrct, 220-221 (Bibliographic reference). SCO2866.

<3> Borlase, WC, 1872, Naenia Cornubiae, 66-69, 268 (Bibliographic reference). SCO2892.

<4> Blight, JT, 1870, The Cromlechs of Cornwall, 87-90 (Unpublished document). SCO2870.

<5> Hencken, H O'N, 1932, The Archaeology of Cornwall and Scilly, 311, 320 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3489.

<6> Daniel, GE, 1950, The Prehistoric Chamber Tombs of England and Wales, 241, NO 24 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3204.

<7> Russell, V, 1971, West Penwith Survey, 25 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4314.

<9> Barnatt, J, 1982, Prehistoric Cornwall: The Ceremonial Monuments, 44-45, 245-246 (Bibliographic reference). SCO2777.

<10> Cornwall Archaeological Unit, Field Drawing (GRE), GRE 1040 (Cartographic materials). SCO5089.

<11> Cornwall Archaeological Unit, 198-, Drawing Archive, Hanging (GRH), GRH 68215 & 6 (Cartographic materials). SCO5088.

<12> CAU, 1984, Field Survey Context Card, 182 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5175.

<13> Nowakowski, JA, 1987, Bosporthennis, West Penwith, Zennor, 30-31, FIG 11 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4015.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds

• FCO8607 - (Early Bronze Age to Middle Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 1501 BC)
• FCO8606 - KNIFE (Early Bronze Age to Middle Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 1501 BC)
• FCO8604 - POT (Early Bronze Age to Middle Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 1501 BC)
• FCO8605 - POT (Early Bronze Age to Middle Bronze Age - 2200 BC to 1501 BC)

Associated Events: none recorded

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