Normanton Down Beaker

 Details

The ancient Barrows of Normanton Down have been part of the Salisbury Plain landscape for around 4000 years.  The burial rituals that took place here on the site of Stonehenge were an important part of Bronze Age culture, and they left behind artefacts that give us insight into the people of this fascinating period in our history.  

This stunning replica Bronze Age Beaker, is based on an example excavated from the Wilsford Barrow Group, Normanton Down. Clearly made by a skilled hand, it is a very finely made vessel, the surface of which has been burnished to a beautiful shine.  It has then been decorated by impressing the teeth of a comb tool into the carefully prepared surface.  Dating from around 2200 BCE, this beaker would have been used as a drinking vessel. 

 Context

Around 2500 BC 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 vast proportion of Britons were replaced by a wave of migrants from Europe. In terms of pottery, this change resulted in a bloom of creativity where potters showed off their skills by creating highly decorated pottery forms.  

'Add To Cart' items are ready to send straight away. Please be aware that if bought alongside 'Pre-order' items, your order will be sent when all items are ready. 

'Pre-order' items are made to order, and we will dispatch them as soon as we have handcrafted them for you; this usually takes 90 days, but international orders can take a little longer.

Materials

Smoke fired Terracotta 

Dimensions

Height 205 mm, diameter 160 mm

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.

Production

As with all my 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 tool that the Bronze-Age makers would have used.  In keeping with the original pot, the decoration has been applied using a hand-twisted cord made from natural bark fibres, in this case, Lime Bark Bast.  Please be aware that you will not necessarily get the vessel in this image.  As all our items are handmade, there will be some variation in colouring and shaping.

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 of 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 my for a quote. Many Thanks