barrow In archaeology, a prehistoric burial mound. Various types of barrow are found, but in Europe they are usually either long or round. Long barrows were built in the Neolithic period, and consisted of a long vault built of huge stones, roofed with stone slabs and covered with soil or chalk. Many long barrows were used for multiple burials. Round barrows primarily date to the early Bronze Age, but some in England were built as late as Roman and Saxon times. Usually containing a single body, round barrows vary in diameter from 1.5–50m (4.5–160ft) and are often surrounded by banks and ditches.

bar·row¹ / ˈbarō/ • n. a metal frame with two wheels used for transporting objects such as luggage. ∎  a wheelbarrow.bar·row² • n. Archaeol. an ancient burial mound.bar·row³ • n. a male pig castrated before maturity.

barrow. Tumulus, or large mound of stones and earth over a burial. A long-barrow or long cairn may be a long, rectangular mound covering wooden or stone burial-chambers intended for communal entombment. A good example is the long barrow at Belas Knap, near Cheltenham, Glos.

Bibliography

Grinsell (1975, 1982)

barrow2 ME. bar(e)we handbarrow XIV, wheel-barrow XV. — OE. bearwe :- *barwōn, f. *bar-, *ber- BEAR2.

Barrow Village in Alaska; the northernmost US community. The US Navy operates a research station nearby. Whaling is the chief industry. Pop. (2000) 4581.