Description

Summary: 4 amber beads and 2 V-perforated amber buttons (like shale buttons) created by splitting a large amber bead in half, found with primary cremations in two tumps (out of three) in disc barrow Winterbourne Stoke G14 (?), excavated by William Cunnington.

Research results

A group of six amber objects excavated from two of three barrows forming Winterbourne Stoke G14, excavated by William Cunnington in the 19th century. The two larger trapezoidal objects are v-perforated buttons and along with the largest bead were found with a primary cremation in the largest tump; the other three beads were found with a creamtion in other tump. All of these objects may actually have been recycled from amber spacer-plate necklaces raising the possibility that both graves included beads from the same source.

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.