Description

Summary: 1 small bead of soft red stone (steatite?), found with a primary cremation in confluent Bowl Barrow Wilsford G46, excavated by William Cunnington.

Research results

A Bronze Age stone bead made of red/pink laminated mud stone, found with a primary cremation in the south east mound of confluent bowl barrow Wilsford G46, excavated by William Cunnington. This group comprises of two stone beads and a faience bead, although originally three further faience beads, two amber beads and an awl were also found (now lost). The stone probably has a source in Devon or Cornwall.

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.