Analysis of Worked Objects from Early Bronze Age Graves
This forms part of a substantial 3-year inter-disciplinary project in the reanalysis of gravegoods from funerary contexts of Early Bronze Age date from sites from various parts of England. The project is based at the University of Birmingham, and funded by the Leverhulme Trust. It is led by Professor John Hunter and Doctor Ann Woodward. Most of these finds come from barrows excavated by antiquarians such as Mortimer, Greenwell and Colt Hoare or by archaeologists operating at various times during the last century. The material, which is housed at various museums around the country, has never been analysed systematically to establish, for example, whether the objects show signs of wear, how they were manufactured and indeed how they were used. My involvement concerns the identification of the bones, teeth, antler and ivory where possible to material, species and anatomical element. This has involved several visits to museums to identify and describe the material, which forms part of the extensive database and photographic record that is being compiled. Research papers are being prepared as part of the overall publication programme for the project.
Publication
Woodward, A.. Hunter, J. Ixer,R., Maltby, M., Potts,P.J., Webb, P.C., Watson, J.S. and Jones, M.C. (2005) Ritual in some early Bronze Age gravegoods. The Archaeological Journal 162, 31-64.
