They are near the south-western end of the Dorset Cursus, a Neolithic feature.

It is thought that the bank at the end of the cursus, which is at an oblique angle to its sides but is aligned with the barrow, was designed to link to the existing monument.

[1][3] The south-eastern barrow was excavated in 1933 by C. D. Drew and Stuart Piggott, and carefully restored.

There were no primary burials, but in the centre there was a structure consisting of two turf walls with a filling between of chalk rubble.

In the ditch, mostly at the ends near the causeway, there were stratified finds including pottery of the Early Neolithic period and later Peterborough ware.