Wessex Culture?
'Revolution' or late Beaker 'Evolution'?
Defining changes in the early 2nd Millenium BC
Friday 16th – Sunday 18th April 2010, The Prehistoric Society, School of Conservation Sciences, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, Dorset
A major conference organised by the Prehistoric Society and Bournemouth University
Centre for Archaeology, Anthropology and Heritage
This conference will address a problem that archaeologists of the Early Bronze Age have faced since William Cunnington and Sir Richard Colt Hoare first dug into the barrows of Salisbury Plain. What happened to Beaker burial practice in Southern Britain between the late Third and early Second Millennium BC? In cemeteries across Wessex burial practices changed from inhumation to cremation burial in a relatively short time. This change was also accompanied by changes in barrow form, agricultural patterns, ceremonial monuments and artefacts - many similar to artefacts on the Continent.
Archaeologists have struggled to characterise these different practices. Recent research has now shed doubt on the new artefacts as a diagnostic for change. This has led some to see the change as an evolution from the Beaker phenomenon – yet other changes were so pronounced as to be seen as revolution.
Conference will pool knowledge from archaeologists working with early second millennium artefacts, burials and other evidence from Britain and the Continent to better understand the dynamics of this change termed the ‘Wessex Culture’.
Further details and on-line registration can be found below. You can also contact us by email at csconferences@bournemouth.ac.uk
Where available, abstracts of presentations are available in PDF format.
Provisional Programme
Friday 16th April
1730 Registration and wine reception - Introduction from Andrew Martin
1830 Keynote Introduction: Stuart Needham
Why Wessex? (PDF - 228kb)
1930 Retire to conference bar
Saturday 17th April
0900 Registration
1000 Welcome
1010 Introduction, Prehistoric Society
Session 1: The Wessex Culture: Concepts and Objects
1035 Paul Garwood
'Elite' funerals, monuments and landscapes in the 2nd millennium BC: Wessex graves in long-term perspective (PDF - 104kb)
1105 Tea/coffee
1130 John Hunter
Ritual and Early Bronze Age Gravegoods (PDF - 196kb)
1200 Ann Woodward
Does the Wessex Culture exist? (PDF - 196kb)
1230 Discussion (Alison Sheridan)
1300 Lunch
Session 2: Changes in the Landscape
1400 Jo Appleby & Andrew Martin
Beyond Fashion: Characterising the shift in cremation in Early Bronze Age Wessex (PDF - 208kb)
1430 John Gale
Changing focus and identity in Early Bronze Age Dorset
1500 Tea/coffee
1530 Mike Allen
Did the farming economy generate the Wessex Culture wealth; changes in environment and agriculture
1600 Jan Harding
Henges and ceremonial monuments (PDF - 216kb)
1630 Discussion (Andrew Lawson)
1715 Retire to conference bar
Sunday 18th April
0900 Registration and posters
Session 3: Wessex and the Wider World
0930 Jodie Lewis and David Mullin
West of Wessex but only just: barrow construction on the Mendip Hills, Somerset (PDF - 260kb)
1000 Alison Sheridan
Perspectives from beyond Wessex (PDF - 140kb)
1030 Ros Cleal
Avebury Barrows
1100 Tea/coffee
1130 Sabine Gerloff
The locations and chronology of European artefact links abroad (PDF - 240kb)
1200 Anthony Harding
Long distance travel and trade in the Bronze Age: the Wessex connection (PDF -240kb)
1230 Discussion (Stuart Needham)
1300 Lunch
Session 4: Metallurgy, Monuments and Society
1400 Martyn Barber & Helen Wickstead
Metallurgy and Society (PDF - 220kb)
1430 Nick Thorpe
The Age of warriors? Beaker to Wessex Culture warfare and violence (PDF - 200kb)
1500 Jonathan Last
The rise of the round barrow
1530 Discussion
1600 Anticipated close of conference
Other information
- Tea and coffee will be provided on Saturday and Sunday.
- Lunch is not provided: food and drink are available at various outlets close to the conference venue.
- All cancellations are non-refundable.
- Car-parking is available at the NCP car park (£3.00 per day) opposite the conference venue.
- Accommodation is not included and should be booked independently. Information regarding local accommodation is available from the conference web site (see below) or from the Bournemouth Tourist Centre
 (Tel: 08450 511701; email: info@bournemouth.gov.uk
- There is also a page of information relating to accommodation needs.
- A printer-friendly version of this information and the booking form (Word 424Kb).
How to book
Please register online using the form below by Friday 2nd April 2010.
Booking enquiries should be made to Rebecca Dolling, School of Conservation Sciences, Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB, on 01202 961754 or via csconferences@bournemouth.ac.uk. Confirmation of your booking will be sent to you by email or by post where no email address is given.
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