Description

Summary: 1 perforated antler macehead (broken and reworked) found with a secondary cremation in Bowl Barrow Wilsford G60, excavated by William Cunnington

Research results

A Bronze Age antler macehead or hammer, found with a secondary cremation in bowl barrow Wilsford G60, excavated with William Cunnington. Other grave goods found with the same cremation were a dagger, two whetstones and a bone plate. This unusual object is largely unique; it is broken at one end and appears to have been being reworked when it was deposited, with trial and unfinished perforations in addition to the complete hourglass shaped one, possibly the start of converting it into a handle.

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.