Theme:
The archaeology of material culture, bodies and landscapes
Session format:
Session, made up of a combination of papers, max. 15 minutes each
Title:
Beyond the stereotype – the diversity of Beaker burials
Content:
Beaker studies are a vibrant field of study and our understanding of the Beaker phenomenon is no longer constrained by a rigid definition of the ‘Beaker package’. But do we yet fully appreciate the diversity of burial traditions associated with Beakers between regions and through time? This session aims to bring together researchers from all areas where Beakers are found to explore variations and consistencies in Beaker-associated burial practices.
The idea that there exist ‘classic Beaker burials’ has been a cornerstone of Beaker research for many decades. The ‘classic Beaker burial’ is widely accepted as a single adult male inhumation accompanied by a Beaker pot, a dagger, and a full set of archery equipment including a bracer. Burials incorporating elements of this grave set are certainly present across Europe in varying combinations and frequencies suggesting a widely accepted conceptual norm, but the ‘classic Beaker burial’ itself is extremely rare.
This raises questions about the validity of using the ‘classic Beaker burial’ as a template guiding interpretations of the Beaker phenomenon not only at the European scale, but also on regional and local levels. This session aims to look at the diversity of Beaker burial practices throughout the Beaker-using world. Can we now question the idea of a classic template by looking at things such as gender and age representation, diverse social structures, the influence of pre-existing local and regional burial traditions, the significance of collective burial, and the existence of differing concepts of individual identity or forms of expressing ‘personae’?
Keywords:
Beaker, Burials, Regionalism, Grave Goods
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Main organiser:
Dr. Thor McVeigh (Ireland) 1
Co-organisers:
Dr. Carleton Jones (Ireland) 1
Dr. Ros Ó Maoldúin (Ireland) 1,2
PhD Candidate (post-viva) Owain Scholma-Mason (United Kingdom) 3,4
Affiliations:
1. National University of Ireland Galway
2. The Irish Fieldschool of Prehistoric Archaeology
3. Independent Researcher
4. University of Edinburgh (until graduation)
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