Description

Summary: 1 bronze crutch-headed pin [possibly] found with a primary crouched inhumation in Bowl Barrow West Overton G1 (according to Grinsell), excavated by William Cunnington

Research results

A bronze age copper alloy pin, possibly found with a primary crouched inhumation in bowl barrow West Overton G1, excavated by William Cunnington. Decorative pins such as this, and others from the same period, often show signs of relatively heavy wear, suggesting they were prized items with long use lives. Unfortunately, by the time the Wiltshire Museum had acquired the Stourhead collection, the grave goods from this barrow had become disassociated, although it has been possible to identify some from sketches of the Reverend Skinner, who was present for the excavation.

This axehead is discussed by Needham et al. (2010) as part of their discussion of radiocarbon dating of the primary inhumation of West Overton G1, whose skull is now held in the Duckworth collection, Cambridge University. These remains were dated to 2020-1770 cal BC (95%). They note the survival of Reverend John Skinner's notes on the excavation of West Overton G1 in the British Library, along with sketches, which detail a flat axehead and a crutch-headed pin, both now identified, and a tanged dagger and length of antler, both of which remain unidentified.

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.