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| Beaker People |
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 Silbury Hill news, views and archive brought to you by Weird Wiltshire Introduction Latest News News Archive Excavations The Hole Beaker People What is it for? What Next? Postcards Wallpaper Links  |
LITTLE is known about the mysterious Beaker people, although their influence cannot be It is thought by many that they were responsible for the creation of Silbury Hill and the Avebury complex. 
Otherwise known as the Bell-beaker folk, they were so named because of their
distinctive bell shaped pottery drinking vessels. John Thurnam, in the late
1860's-1870's examined skeletons in the barrows of Wiltshire around the
site of Stonehenge.He deduced that long barrows, like West Kennet Long Barrow, seemed to belong to the Stone age and round barrows to the Bronze age. These deductions were based on the dating of the artefacts found within them. He also found that the skulls in long barrows were dolichocephalic (long in relation to their width), and the skulls in the round barrows were brachycephalic (more rounded), so it appeared that they must belong to two different races of people. It was also soon noticed that the "roundheads" tended to be associated with certain specific artefacts, most noticeably a distinctive type of pottery, the "beaker" style. Also found in association with these burials were a selection of other artefacts, these included; barbed and sharpened flat arrow heads, copper axes, small gold, jet or bone ornaments, and stone objects commonly referred to as archers wrist guards. These remains could be dated back to the approximate period of 2000 BC to 1500 BC, and with the round skulls, formed a distinct group, known as the Beakers. It is thought they improved the existing temple at Stonehenge which is perhaps proof that they got on well with the original inhabitants. 
At Avebury it is thought they made another great henge monument.
Nearby stands the largest man made mound in prehistoric Britain, Silbury
Hill, again thought to have been made by the Beaker people, although no
burial has been found inside it.Were the Beaker people responsible for the Silbury Hill? Tell us what you think on our Forum |
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