Details
The original of this beautiful and elaborate Bronze Age beaker was found at the Nether Largie South Cairn, which is thought to be one of the earliest ancient monuments within this historically important landscape. Nether Largie is one of a number of cairns that make up a linear cemetery that stretches through the stunning Scottish landscape near the village of Kilmartin. The line of monuments covers about three miles, making this landscape of great interest to modern historians and of great importance to the people of the past.
Built around 5,600 years ago, in the Neolithic, Nether Largie Cairn was in use during this period, as well as the Bronze Age. The evidence suggests that the original monument was oblong in shape, with a passage at the centre that was used as a resting place for the Neolithic farmers of this ancient community.
Around 4,500 years ago, it was restructured into a circular shape, and two stone cist burials were added to the monument. This Bronze Age burial included the typical beaker pottery offerings and flints, knives and arrowheads, some of which are on display at the Kilmartin Museum.
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Context
Beaker pottery is a style of pottery that entered Britain from Continental Europe around 2500 BCE, at a time when the first metals, copper and gold, were being seen in this country.
Around 2500 BCE, Britain saw the first use of metal in the form of Gold and Copper, and alongside these new materials came pottery beakers. Often considered to mark the end of the Neolithic and the beginning of the Bronze Age, it was a time of great change, with some research studies claiming that a wave of migrants from Europe replaced a vast proportion of Britons. In terms of pottery, this change resulted in a bloom of creativity where potters showed off their skills by creating highly decorated pottery forms.
Materials
Smoke fired Terracotta
Dimensions
Approx. 210 mm tall 160 mm diameter
Production
As with all our Museum Quality Replicas, this pot has been made, as the original would have been, entirely by hand from natural clay and using replicas of the types of tools that the Bronze Age makers would have used. The decoration has been applied using a bone comb in keeping with the original pot.
Firing
It has been fired to emulate the ancient firing conditions. The original pot would have been fired in an open wood fire, in close contact with the fuel, a process that leaves its mark on the clay as variations in the surface colour. However, the very low temperatures achieved in open firings also result in pots that are relatively weak, so this pot has been fired to a somewhat higher temperature to strengthen it, in a special firing process that allows me to achieve an authentic appearance to the pot. The exterior has been finished with beeswax to give a slight sheen.
Health & Safety
This is a Museum Quality Replica and is not intended for use as a drinking vessel; if you require replica pots for actual use with food or beverages, please ask before purchasing.
Postage
All items are sent using a second-class postal service; if you wish to have an item sent first-class, please contact me for a quote. Many Thanks
