Ancient Britain: The Bronze Age

About 2400 BCE bronze artifacts began appearing in Britain, usually associated with Beaker pottery. Archaeologists suggest that during the Bronze Age, chiefdoms develop as evidenced by individual graves with lavish grave goods including decorated pottery, weapons, and non-local items. During this time a rich, gold-using aristocracy developed in some areas.

Beaker pottery refers to a type of handle-less drinking vessel which holds about a pint of liquid. Beaker pottery developed in northern and western Europe between 40000 and 2000 BCE. These vessels were manufactured in a number of distinctive shapes, including the funnel-beaker, the protruding-foot beaker, and the bell beaker. These distinctive shapes are very different from the bowls of the earlier Neolithic Bandkermik cultures. Beakers seem to have been associated with a drinking ritual which promoted solidarity among the elites...

Ancient Britain: The Bronze Age