Bronze Age Bell Beaker, Corded

Details
This replica Early Bronze Age Beaker has had  cord decoration painstakingly applied to the entire outer surface in tight rings.  A process that can take up to three hours and gives it its name of All Over Cord Beaker (AOC). 

This beaker is based on examples excavated in the vicinity of Stonehenge, most notably the grave of the Boscome Bowmen and that of the Amesbury Archer.  These beautifully crafted and decorated pots were often found amongst the grave goods of high status burials during the early Bronze Age, so clearly had a significance to the people of the time.  

 Context

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 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.  

 Materials

Smoke fired Terracotta

Dimensions

Approx. 140 mm tall 125 mm diameter

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 an bone comb.

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 results 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 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