Description

Summary: 1 copper pin, found adhering to wristguard, X47, from barrow G8 on Roundway Hill, Roundway, Wiltshire, excavated by W Cunnington, 1855.

Research results

A copper alloy pin found accompanying a Beaker burial by William Cunnington in 1855, excavated from a barrow on Roundway Hill (Roundway G8), near Devizes. Originally with a relatively large racquet-shaped head, this pin is one of only three known pins from graves dating to the earliest Bronze Age, sometimes called the Chalcolithic (c. 2450-2200 BC), one of the others being found with the famous Amesbury Archer. Originally thought to be continental imports, they are now thought equally likely to be indigenous products. Radiocarbon dates obtained from the associated human remains date to 2280-2030 cal BC, which is far later than the accompanying grave goods would suggest and is thought to be anomalous.

Skeletal material from this burial was sampled as part of the Beaker People project (Pearson et al 2019), during which it was Radiocarbon dated and its Nitrogen, Carbon, Strontium, Oxygen and Sulphur isotopes were analysed for insights into ancient diets and population mobility. The scheme of radiocarbon dating has suggested that the use of beaker burials in Britain had largely ceased by 1950 cal BC, earlier than previously thought, whist isotopic analysis has revealed that only 65% of those buried in the chalklands of central southern England were liekly to be local, whilst they all ate a largely terrestrial diet.

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.