Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T10:01:05.408Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An Exotic Early Bronze Age Funerary Assemblage from Stanbury, West Yorkshire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2013

Jane Richardson  and
Blaise Vyner
Jane Richardson
Affiliation:
Archaeological Services WYAS, PO Box 30, Nepshaw Lane South, Morley, Leeds, LS27 0UG
Blaise Vyner
Affiliation:
16College Square, Stokesley, North Yorkshire, TS9 5DL
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The chance find of a discrete pit containing an Early Bronze Age funerary deposit was made at Stanbury, West Yorkshire, during the spring of 2007. A large Collared Urn, which was inverted, contained the cremated remains of a young male, together with a stone battle-axe, a bone belt-hook and pin, a pair of copper alloy earrings, and an accessory vessel. The burial was accompanied by two further Collared Urns, one of which was near complete. The two radiocarbon dates obtained have allowed a fairly tight date range of 1960–1780 cal BC to be proposed. This combination of pyre and grave goods is apparently unique, while a number of the items are exotic to Pennine Yorkshire.

Résumé

On a découvert par hasard une fosse cachée contenant un dépôt funéraire de l'âge du bronze ancien au printemps 2007, à Stanbury, West Yorkshire. Une grande urne à col, qui était retournée, contenait les restes incinérés d'un jeune homme, avec une hache de guerre en pierre, un crochet et une pointe de ceinture en os, une paire de boucles d'oreilles en alliage de cuivre et un récipient accessoire. L'inhumation s'accompagnait de deux autres urnes à col, dont l'une était presque complète. Les deux datations au C14 obtenues ont permis de proposer une échelle de dates assez serrée de 1960–1780 av.J.-C. cal. Cette combinaison de mobilier de bûcher et de tombe est apparemment unique, pendant qu'un certain nombre des objets étaient étrangers à la région Pennine/Yorkshire.

Zussamenfassung

Der Zufallsfund einer einzelnen Grube, die eine frühbronzezeitliche Grabdeponierung enthielt, wurde im Frühling 2007 in Stanbury, West Yorkshire, gemacht. Eine große Kragenurne (Collared Urn), die umgedreht war, enthielt die verbrannten Reste eines jungen Mannes zusammen mit einer steinernen Streitaxt, einem Gürtelhaken aus Knochen, einer Knochennadel, einem Paar Ohrringe aus Kupferlegierung sowie einem Beigefäß. Neben der eigentlichen Urne enthielt das Grab noch zwei weitere Kragenurnen, von denen eine fast vollständig war. Die beiden gewonnenen Radiokarbondaten erlauben, eine gut eingegrenzte Datierung zwischen 1960–1780 cal. BC vorzuschlagen. Die Kombination von Scheiterhaufenobjekten und Grabbeigaben ist offenbar einzigartig, während eine Reihe der Objekte fremdartig für die Region der Yorkshire Pennines sind.

Resumen

En la primavera del 2007 se produjo el hallazgo casual de un pozo aislado que contenía un depósito funerario de la Edad del Bronce Antiguo en Stanbury, West Yorkshire. Una gran urna, depositada boca abajo, contenía los restos incinerados de un joven, junto con un hacha de batalla de piedra, una hebilla de cinturón de hueso, un par de pendientes de una aleación de cobre, y una vasija. El enterramiento estaba acompañado por otras dos urnas, una de ellas casi completa. Las dos dataciones al radiocarbono obtenidas han permitido ceñir la datación a una fecha entre 1960–1780 cal a.C. La combinación de cremación y ajuar funerario es aparentemente única, mientras que algunos de los objetos son exóticos en los Peninos de Yorkshire.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 77 , 2011 , pp. 49 - 63
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allen, C. & Hopkins, D. 2000. Bronze Age accessory cups from Lincolnshire: Early Bronze Age pot? Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 66, 297–317CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Atkinson, R.J.C. 1951. List of skewer-pins and related types. In Atkinson, R.J.C., Piggott, C.M. & Sandars, N.K., Excavations at Dorchester, Oxon. First Report: Sites I, II, IV, V and VI, 142–4. Oxford: Department of Antiquities Ashmolean MuseumGoogle Scholar
Barclay, A. & Halpin, C. 1999. Excavations at Barrow Hills, Radley, Oxfordshire: 1, The Neolithic and Bronze Age Monument Complex. Oxford: Thames Valley Landscape Volume 11Google Scholar
Brennand, M., Brown, F., Howard-Davis, C. & Lupton, A. 2008. Synthesis. In Brown, F., Howard-Davis, C., Brennand, M., Boyle, A., Evans, T., O'Connor, S., Spence, A., Heawood, R. & Lupton, A., The Archaeology of the A1 Darrington to Dishforth DBFO Road Scheme, 379–410. Oxford: Oxford ArchaeologyGoogle Scholar
British Geological Survey. 2000. Bradford, England and Wales Sheet 69, Solid and Drift Geology, Scale 1:50000Google Scholar
Burgess, C. 1980. The Age of Stonehenge. London: DentGoogle Scholar
Burgess, C. 1986. Urnes of no small variety: collared urns reviewed. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 52, 339–51CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clarke, D.V., Cowie, T.G. & Foxon, A. 1985. Symbols of Power at the Time of Stonehenge. Edinburgh. National Museum of Antiquities of ScotlandGoogle Scholar
Elgee, F. 1930. Early Man in North East Yorkshire. Gloucester: John BellGoogle Scholar
Gaunt, G. 2008. Geological report on the stone ‘battle-axe’. In Richardson, J., Cross Farm, Stanbury, West Yorkshire: Archaeological Excavation, 11–14. Archaeological Services (WYAS) Report 1788Google Scholar
Geary, B.R. & Kirby, J.R. 1999. Palaeoenvironmental assessment of deposits at Bingley North Bog, West Yorkshire. Centre for Wetland Archaeology, unpublished reportGoogle Scholar
Heys, D.H. & Taylor, G.V. 1998. A Bronze Age urn burial from Boltby, North York Moors. Yorkshire Archaeological Society, Prehistory Research Section Bulletin 35, 9–18Google Scholar
Holst, M. 2007. Human bone. In Richardson, J.. Cross Farm Stanbury, West Yorkshire: Archaeological Excavation, 14–17. Archaeological Services (WYAS) Report 1788Google Scholar
Johnstone, M. 1974. An Investigation of Vegetation Changes on Ilkley Moor with Particular Reference to Crawshaw Moss. University of Leeds, unpublished BA dissertationGoogle Scholar
Keighley, J.J. 1981. The Bronze Age. In Faull, M.L. & Moorhouse, A. (eds), West Yorkshire: an archaeological survey to A.D. 1500, 93–114. Leeds: West Yorkshire Metropolitan County CouncilGoogle Scholar
Kinnes, I.A. & Longworth, I.H. 1985. Catalogue of the Excavated Prehistoric and Romano-British Material in the Greenwell Collection. London: British Museum PublicationsGoogle Scholar
Laurie, T. & Minnitt, R. 1993. An archaeological survey of Semerwater, Addlebrough and the Stake Road. Prehistoric Society Western Yorkshire Programme, 27–33Google Scholar
Laws, R. 1898. The discovery of cinerary urns at Todmorden. The Halifax Naturalist 3, 49–52Google Scholar
Longworth, I.H. 1967. Contracted mouth accessory cups. British Museum Quarterly 31, 111–22CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Longworth, I.H. 1984 Collared Urns of the Bronze Age in Great Britain and Ireland. Cambridge: University PressGoogle Scholar
Manby, T.G. 1969. Bronze Age pottery from Pule Hill, Marsden, W. R. Yorkshire and footed vessels of the early Bronze Age from England. Yorkshire Archaeological Journal 42, 273–94Google Scholar
Manby, T.G. 1986. The Bronze Age in western Yorkshire. In Manby, T.G. & Turnbull, P. (eds), Archaeology in the Pennines: studies in honour of Arthur Raistrick, 55–126. Oxford: British Archaeology Report 158CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Manby, T.G. 2006. Backstone Beck Enclosure Pottery. Unpublished report for Bradford Museum ServiceGoogle Scholar
Manby, T.G. forthcoming. The early prehistoric pottery. In Speed, G., Excavations at Mitchell Laithes Farm, Ossett, West YorkshireGoogle Scholar
Manby, T.G., King, A. & Vyner, B.E. 2003. The Neolithic and Bronze ages, a time of early agriculture. In Manby, T.G., Moorhouse, S. & Ottoway, P. (eds), The Archaeology of Yorkshire: an assessment at the beginning of the 21st century, 35–113. Leeds: Yorkshire Archaeological Society Occasional Paper 3Google Scholar
May, J., 1976, Prehistoric Lincolnshire. Lincoln: History of Lincolnshire CommitteeGoogle Scholar
McKinley, J.I. 1989. Cremations: expectations, methodologies, and realities. In Roberts, C.A., Lee, F. & Bintliff, J. (eds), Burial Archaeology: Current Research, Methods and Developments, 65–76. Oxford: British Archaeology Report 211Google Scholar
McKinley, J.I. 1997. Bronze Age ‘barrows’ and funerary rites and rituals of cremation. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 63, 129–145CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Needham, S. 2006. Networks of contacts, exchange and meaning; the beginning of the Channel Bronze Age. In Needham, S., Parfitt, K. & Varndell, G. (eds), The Ringlemere Cup: precious cups at the beginning of the Channel Bronze Age, 75–81. London: British Museum Research PublicationGoogle Scholar
Needham, S. 2008. Exchange, object biographies and the shaping of identities, 10,000–1000 BC. In Pollard, J. (ed.), Prehistoric Britain, 310–29. Oxford: BlackwellGoogle Scholar
Needham, S. & Woodward, A. 2008. The Clandon barrow finery: a synopsis of success in the Early Bronze Age world. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 74, 1–54CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parker, S. 1991. The cremated bone. In Vyner, 1991, 33Google Scholar
Raistrick, A. 1931. Prehistoric burials at Waddington and at Bradley, West Yorkshire. Yorkshire Archaeological Journal 30, 243–55Google Scholar
Roe, F.E.S. 1966. The battle-axe series in Britain. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 32, 199–245CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russel, A.D. 1990. Two Beaker burials from Chilbolton, Hampshire. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 56, 153–72CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sheridan, A. 2007a. The bone belt-hook from Bargrennan Pit 2. In Cummings, V. & Fowler, C. (eds), From Cairn to Cemetery: an archaeological investigation of the chambered cairns and Early Bronze Age mortuary deposits at Cairnderry and Bargrennan White Cairn, South-West Scotland, 112–15. Oxford: British Archaeology Report 434Google Scholar
Sheridan, A. 2007b. Two battle axeheads from Cairnderry and Bargrennan. In Cummings, V. & Fowler, C. (eds), From Cairn to Cemetery: an archaeological investigation of the chambered cairns and Early Bronze Age mortuary deposits at Cairnderry and Bargrennan White Cairn, South-West Scotland, 108–111. Oxford: British Archaeology Report 434Google Scholar
Sheridan, A. 2007c. Dating the Scottish Bronze Age. In Burgess, C., Topping, P. & Lynch, F., (eds). Beyond Stonehenge: essays on the Bronze Age in honour of Colin Burgess, 162–185. Oxford: OxbowGoogle Scholar
Sherratt, A. 1986. The Radley ‘earrings’ revised. Oxford Journal of Archaeology 5(1), 61–6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, M.J.B. 1994. Excavated Bronze Age Burial Mounds of North-East Yorkshire. Durham: Architectural & Archaeological Society of Durham & Northumberland, Research Report 3Google Scholar
Soil Survey of England and Wales. 1983. Soils of Northern England (Sheet 1), Scale 1:250000Google Scholar
Speed, G. forthcoming Excavations at Mitchell Laithes Farm, Ossett, West YorkshireGoogle Scholar
Spratt, D.A. (ed.). 1993. Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology of Northeast Yorkshire. York: Council for British Archaeology Research Report 87Google Scholar
Varley, W.J. 1938. The Bleasdale Circle. Antiquaries Journal 18, 154–71CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vyner, B.E. 1991. Bronze Age activity on the Eston Hills, Cleveland: the excavation of a burial mound on Wilton Moor, Kirkleatham. Yorkshire Archaeological Journal 63, 28–34Google Scholar
Vyner, B.E. 2008 The Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age in West Yorkshire: Research Agenda, www.archaeology.wyjs.org.uk/index.asp?pg=indexhome.htmGoogle Scholar
Ward, G.K. & Wilson, S.R. 1978. Procedures for comparing and combining radiocarbon age determinations: a critique. Archaeometry 20(1), 19–31CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodward, A. 2000. British Barrows, a Matter of Life and Death. Stroud: TempusGoogle Scholar
Woodward, A. 2002. Beads and beakers: heirlooms and relics in the British Early Bronze Age. Antiquity 76, 1040–7CrossRefGoogle Scholar