The Marlborough bucket is one of the most richly decorated vessels in Iron Age Europe. Yet, analysis of its decoration and how it relates to other vessels in Iron Age Britain has rarely been considered, and any potential purpose of the five human and three horse characters, or their origins, has remained elusive. Incorporating new PhD research on the role of genuinely figurative animals and humans in the Iron Age art of England and Wales, this talk aims to provide fresh light on this enigmatic artefact.

Rebecca L Ellis has completed her PhD at the University of Hull, funded by the AHRC Heritage Consortium. She has a broad research interest in Iron Age artefacts, specialising in the use of genuinely figurative animal and human depictions in the later European Iron Age art. In her spare time she is also the Finds and Social Media Officer for the Roman Roads Research Association.