Description

Summary: Base of ox (bos longitrons) skull found with a primary cremation (in an upright collared urn) in bowl barrow Winterbourne Stoke G28, excavated by H. Cunnington.

Research results

The base of a Bronze Age cow or ox skull, found with a primary cremation in bowl barrow Winterbourne Stoke G28 when it was excavated by William Cunnington in the early 19th century. The bone and cremation were placed inside a food vessel, alongside a perforated fragment of a human femur, probably used as a pendant.

This object was examined as part of the research published in Ritual in Early Bronze Age Grave Goods; a six-year research project carried out by Professor John Hunter and Dr Anne Woodward and funded by the Leverhulme Trust. Aided by a large number of other specialists the pair undertood an exhuastive study examining over 1000 objects held in 13 museums across the country in order to provide an extensive overview of burial practices in the period and identify regional practices.