Windmill Tump facts for kids
Windmill Tump, also known as Rodmarton Chambered Tomb, is a very old burial site from the Neolithic period. This means it was built a long, long time ago when people first started farming. It's a large mound of earth and stones, like a big hill, that covers ancient graves. You can find it in Gloucestershire, England, near the village of Rodmarton. There are even trees growing on top of it!
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What is Windmill Tump?
Windmill Tump is about 21 meters (69 feet) wide and 60 meters (197 feet) long. That's like two basketball courts end-to-end! The mound is built with around 5,000 tons of stone. That's a lot of rocks!
Today, you can only see a "fake" entrance made of stones on the eastern side of the mound. It looks like a door, but it doesn't actually lead anywhere. The site is looked after by Gloucestershire County Council, with help from English Heritage.
Discovering the Past: Excavations
People have dug into Windmill Tump to learn more about it. These special digs, called archaeological excavations, happened in 1863 and again in 1939. After the 1939 dig, the mound was carefully put back together.
What Did They Find Inside?
Behind the fake entrance, archaeologists found two real tombs. These tombs had narrow passages leading to them from the north and south sides. Inside the tombs, they found the remains of ten adults and three children.
They also found bones from animals. These included tusks from wild boars, teeth from horses, and jawbones from calves. These animal remains might have been part of ancient rituals or offerings.
Mysterious Standing Stones
During the first dig, two tall stones were found. They were about 2.6 meters (8 feet 6 inches) high. A third, even larger stone was leaning against them. It seemed like it had been placed there on purpose.
This special arrangement of stones was similar to other ancient sites. These included "cromlech" mounds found in Kilkenny, Ireland, and in Cornwall, England. Some people think the third stone might have been used for special ceremonies.
How Was It Built?
Archaeologists also found evidence of strong walls that supported the stone mound. There was a double-thick wall all around the outside. Other walls inside helped to make the whole structure even stronger.
The Name: Windmill Tump
It's a bit of a mystery why this site is called Windmill Tump. There's no proof that a windmill ever stood there.
One idea for the name comes from old words. The word Nant from Nantoush means "the diffuser of fire or light." The English word win has a similar meaning. So, the name might be linked to light or fire, not a windmill at all!
