Description

Summary: 1 shale ring with sharp edge inside and decorated with vertical grooves across its outer edge found with a primary male and female (shaman/metalworker?) inhumation in bowl barrow Upton Lovell G2a, excavated by William Cunnington

Research results

A Jet belt ring excavated by William Cunnington in 1801 from the bowl barrow Upton Lovell G2a, the 'shaman' burial. The ring was deposited with a primary double inhumation of a crouched male and female, who had been deposited with a large number of objects, including a large number of perforated bone points and boar tusks, a bronze awl and polished flint and stone axes. Similar belt rings are commonly found with beaker period graves, and appear to have had long use lives - this example, for instance has a region of extensive wear on the interior edge.

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.