West Kennet Long Barrow Beaker
- In stock, ready to ship
- Inventory on the way
***This item is made to order, and we will dispatch it as soon as we have handcrafted it for you; this usually takes 60 days, but international orders can take a little longer ***
Details
The original of this stunning beaker was discovered in a Neolithic barrow on a prominent chalk ridge near Silbury Hill, Whiltshire.
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 passage way 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.
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 tool that the Bronze-Age makers would have used. In keeping with the original pot, the decoration has been applied using 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 my for a quote. Many Thanks
SHIPPING
We ship our fabulous replicas worldwide.
Shipping costs are worked out during checkout. They are based on where you are and how heavy your parcel is.
All UK items are sent using a second-class postal service.
All International items are sent using an international tracked service. Your tracking number will be sent to you via email.
If you wish to have an item sent via another service or have not received your tracking number, please get in touch with us.
Many Thanks
RETURNS
If you aren't completely satisfied with your Potted History piece, please get in touch to organise a return. Please email us at: clare@rothburycreates.co.uk.
Then you can return it in an unused condition within 30 days, and we'll refund you for the item. We don't try to baffle you with nonsense terms and conditions. Including your order number with the returned package will speed things up. Please leave any packaging intact.
Our returns address is:
Potted History, Gregory Court, Rothbury, Northumberland, NE65 7SW