West Kennet Long Barrow Beaker
Details
The original of this stunning beaker was discovered in a Neolithic barrow on a prominent chalk ridge near Silbury Hill, Wiltshire.
The chamber where this Bronze Age beaker was discovered was classified by archaeologists as a chambered long barrow and contained the remains of at least 46 people.
However, as the use of the chamber appears to have ended at the start of the Bronze Age, it is a bit of a mystery as to why a Bronze Age beaker might have been deposited in a Neolithic burial chamber.
It is believed that the beaker might have been left as a tribute when the Beaker people of the Bronze Age filled the chamber and the passageway with soil and stones, which would have been more in line with their own burial rituals.
One thing is for sure the Beaker is a particularly fine example and was clearly made with great care and attention.
'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.
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
Height 170 mm, diameter 180 mm
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 tools 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.
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.
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 us for a quote. Many Thanks
SHIPPING
'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.
We ship our fabulous replicas worldwide.
Shipping costs are worked out during checkout. They are based on where you are in the world and how heavy your parcel is, which can be very variable.
All items are sent using a second-class postal service. If you wish to have an item sent first class, please contact us for a quote. Many Thanks
RETURNS
If you aren't completely satisfied with your Potted History piece, please get in touch to organise a return. Email us at
clare@rothburycreates.co.uk
Then you can send it back at your own cost in an unused condition within 30 days, and we'll refund you for the cost of the item or items returned. If you include your order number with the returned package, that will speed things up. Please leave any original packaging intact.
Our returns address is:
Potted History, Gregory Court, Rothbury, Northumberland, NE65 7SW
PRODUCT VARIATION
Please be aware that due to items being handmade and finished, colour variations will occur during the making process, and each replica will have some differences. Also, know that the item photographed may not be the one that you receive, and colours can appear differently on different screens. Please ensure you look at all the images to get a fully formed idea of the item you are ordering as we try to capture the variations within the images we share. If you prefer a specific colour variation, please contact us before ordering.