Description

Summary: 1 pair of beaver incisors (made into a ring?) found with a primary inhumation in bowl barrow Winterbourne Stoke G8, excavated by William Cunnington.

Research results

A Bronze Age unmodified beaver incisor, now in 4 parts, found with a primary inhumation in bowl barrow Winterbourne Stoke G8, excavated by William Cunnington. Other grave goods with this burial included whetstones, beads and awls. The tooth shows no sign of being modified or used as a tool and probably served as an amulet, perhaps as part of a composite necklace. Boar's tusks in this period appear to have been especially prized and this incisor may have also been imbued with special meaning.

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.