Amber Bead

Around 1700BC. Aldbourne Barrow 1013022 [Map]. Historic England: The monument includes two bowl barrows, aligned east-west, and set above the floor of a dry valley immediately south of Sugar Hill. The eastern barrow mound is 36m in diameter and stands to a maximum height of 1.5m. A ditch, originally dug to provide material for the barrow mound, is no longer visible at ground level but survives as a buried feature c.5m wide surrounding the mound. The western barrow is not visible as an earthwork but survives as a buried feature. The eastern barrow mound was partially excavated by Canon Greenwell, a prolific excavator of barrows, in the late 19th century. Finds included a cremation burial set on a wooden plank within a cairn, a bronze dagger, awls, faience and amber beads and a cup, later to become known as the "Aldbourne Cup".

Carbon Date. 1485BC. Late Bronze Age Carbon Dates

Report: human bone; from a crouched complete skeleton of a youth suffering from a tumour. The section showed that the skeleton had been inserted into the mound. It was associated with amber beads and a perforated cockle shell.

ID: 17603, C14 ID: OxA 4211 Date BP: 3485 +/- 110, Start Date BP: 3595, End BP: 3375

Abstract: Snail Down: Site XXII; 1992-93

Reference Name: Bayliss et al forthcoming 'Radiocarbon dates: from samples funded by English Heritage between 1988 and 1993', Swindon: English Heritage

Council for British Archaeology (2012) Archaeological Site Index to Radiocarbon Dates from Great Britain and Ireland [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor] https://doi.org/10.5284/1017767

Carbon Date. 740BC. Early Iron Age Carbon Dates

Report: human bone; site area D. Limb bone from inhumation associated with shale and amber beads.

ID: 16791, C14 ID: HAR 6122 Date BP: 2740 +/- 70, Start Date BP: 2810, End BP: 2670

Abstract: Marc 3: Easton Lane Interchange, Winchester; 1983-84

Reference Name: Bayliss, A, Hedges, R, Otlet, R, Switsur, R, and Walker, J 2012 'Radiocarbon dates: from samples funded by English Heritage between 1981 and 1988', Swindon: English Heritage

Council for British Archaeology (2012) Archaeological Site Index to Radiocarbon Dates from Great Britain and Ireland [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor] https://doi.org/10.5284/1017767

Colt Hoare 1812. No. 3 [Wilsford Barrow 3 G72 [Map]] is another barrow of the same species, which produced a similar interment by cremation, and a considerable quantity of glass, jet, and amber beads, together with a fine brass pin.

Colt Hoare 1812. No. 12 [Winterbourne Stoke West Barrow 12 G68 [Map]]. The vallum of this large Druid barrow is so much defaced, and the elevation of the mound so very trifling, that it might easily escape general notice. It contained a very large rude urn, sixteen inches and a half deep, inverted over an interment of burned bones, and within it a smaller vase. With them were found two black rings similar to those before described, but not perforated for suspension, large amber bead perforated, four pully beads, and three of a black colour. The three last mentioned barrows are situated on the outside of the bank and ditch, which, at first sight, bear an equivocal appearance from their singular shape, resembling a pentagon, which I have before, stated as being a favourite form with the Britons; but on a close investigation of them, they appear decidedly of a more modern date than the barrows. The name of the hill, Conigar, and the vulgar tradition of this spot having once been appropriated to a rabbit-warren, will corroborate this conjecture, and ascertain the origin of this earthen enclosure. On the adjoining hill, called High Down, and to the N. W. of the group of barrows, are the decided remains of a British village, in which we found coins of the Lower Empire, pottery of various sorts, with animal bones, and all the usual indicia of an ancient British and Roman population.

Colt Hoare 1812. No. 26 [Winterbourne Stoke Barrow 26 G9 [Map]] is a fine bowl-shaped barrow, 97 fret in diameter, and nine feet and a half in elevation. Mr. Cunnington attempted to open it in the year 1804, but missed the interment, when, as it turned out, he was within one foot of it. Fortune now favoured our researches, and discovered to us in an oblong cist, a skeleton lying from north to south, within a shallow case of wood, of a boat-like form. Round its neck were found a great variety of amber and jet beads, a lance head, and pin of brass, with a little urn of a very neat form, which was broken to pieces.

Colt Hoare 1812. No. 156 [Normanton Barrow 156 G7 [Map]] is a fine bell-shaped barrow, 102 feet in base diameter, and 10 feet in elevation above the plain. It contained within a very shallow cist, the remains of a skeleton, whose head was placed towards the west, and a deposit of the most various elegant little trinkets; the most remarkable of which are two gold beads, engraved of their original size in Tumuli Plate XXV. No. 7, 8. The first is of an oblong form, large, and ornamented with circular rings; the other is much less, and of a globular; they appear to have been formed by first making a wooden bead, and then covering it with two thin plates of gold, which were overlapped in the centre, and made fast by indentation; for in none of these golden articles have we ever distinguished any marks of solder, or any other mode of fastening than by indentation. The large bead is perforated lengthways, the smaller one in two places on one side. Besides these beads of gold. there were several trinkets of jet, amber, &c. viz. a flat: piece of amber, No, 9; two other pieces, the one plain, the other marked with transverselines, both perforated; also two round beads of amber; a jet bead of a globular form, but much compressed, No. 10; another with convoluted stripes, No. 1; an article of jet, singular in its shape, No. 12; and some curious beads of stone, one of which, No. 13, seems to be the joint of a petrified echinus [sea urchin]. Besides the above articles, the most remarkable of which are engraved in Tumuli Plate XXV. we found another beautiful little grape cup, similar to those before described in Tumuli Plates XI. and XXIV. in high preservation. There was also a drinking cup placed at the feet of the skeleton, which was unfortunately broken, but afterwards repaired.

Colt Hoare 1812. Following the great road to Salisbury, we may observe a barrow on its side, which owing to the high ground on which it stands, becomes rather a conspicuous object. It is called Newton barrow, and must have been of much larger dimensions before it was ploughed over. We opened in July, 1805, but found that some antiquary, probably the Earl of Pembroke, or our good friend the Doctor, had been before hand with us. Our researches, however, were not totally fruitless or unproductive of novelty, as we found one amber bead, and a great many articles made of the teeth of some animal, and perforated, probably for the purpose of a rude necklace; the bones also that were dispersed about. a deep cist cut in the chalk, were strongly tinged with verditer, a proof that articles OF brass were once deposited within this barrow, whose history, we regret, was not recorded by those who investigated it. We afterwards opened two small barrows on the apex of the adjoining hill, but found that they also had been explored.

Beauties of the Boyne. During the excavations some very interesting relics and antiquities were discovered. Among the stones which form the great heap, or cairn, were found a number of globular stone shot, about the size of grape-shot, probably sling-stones, and also fragments of human heads; within the chamber, mixed with the clay and dust which had accumulated, were found a quantity of bones, consisting of heaps, as well as scattered fragments of burned bones, many of which proved to be human; also several un burned bones of horses, pigs, deer, and birds, with portions of the heads of the shorthorned variety of the ox, similar to those found at Dunshaughlin, and the head of a fox. Glass and amber beads, of unique shapes, portions of jet bracelets, a curious stone button or fibula, bone bodkins, copper pins, and iron knives and rings, the two latter similar to those found at Dunshaughlin, were also picked up. Some years ago a gentleman who then resided in the neighbourhood cleared out a portion of the passage, and found a few iron antiquities, some bones of mammals, and a small stone urn, which he lately presented to the Academy. Much might here be written upon the remains of the Fauna known to the ancient Irish, did our space permit; we can, however, merely specify some of the bones, and mention some of the articles which were discovered. In the beginning of the last century, a stone urn, somewhat similar in shape to "the upper part of a man's skull," was found in a kistvaen at Knowth; this, we believe, is now in the collection of the Academy; it is figured by Molyneux.

Archaeological Journal Volume 15 Pages 199-215. Stukeley, fresh from the Downs of Wiltshire, wondered that he observed no tumuli or barrows, the burying-places of the people about it, as in other cases, but supposed this owing to the goodness of the soil; for, as he goes on to say, "they wisely pitched upon barren ground to repose their ashes, where they could only hope to lie undisturbed: and on Mendip Hills, not far off, they are very numerous. This particularly I am told of seven that are remarkable." The group to which Stukeley alludes is most probably one of two on Priddy Hill, of which one is formed of nine [Priddy Nine Barrows], and the other of seven barrows [Ashen Hill Barrows]. Many others, however, are to be seen on the Mendip range. The Priddy barrows were examined by the late Rev. John Skinner, in 1815, and in all cases in which the interment was found, cremation appears to have prevailed. In some the ashes were found in urns, in others without urns in cists, or on flat stones without cists. The urns were rude and unbaked, with the zigzag ornament, and usually reversed. One of them was embossed with projecting knobs, like that which was dis interred by Sir R. C. Hoare from a tumulus on Beckhampton Down. The following articles were also discovered: amber beads and a small blue opaque glass bead with them, perforated; brazen (bronze) spear heads; flint and brazen (bronze) arrow-heads; and an ivory pin, upwards of 4 inches long. These barrows are of different sizes, the highest being 12 feet high, and 164 in circumference. The Men clip Mines were doubtless extensively worked by our British forefathers, and a considerable trade in metals must have been carried on by them with foreign nations.

Proceedings of the Cotteswold Naturalists' Field Club Volume 5 Page 277. The "Journal of the Archseological Association" (Vol. IV., page 60) contains an account of the discovery of a number of interments in a field near Chavenage, from which were obtained iron spear-heads, bronze fibulae, silver ear-rings, stone, clay, and amber beads, all characteristic specimens of Anglo-Saxon workmanship. These interments were met with in the year 1847 by workmen employed to level down two circular tumuH, which stood 300 feet due N. and S., one from the other. This levellingdown process, though uncovering the secondary graves, did not disturb the central portions of the original grave-mounds, and these I have carefully examined during the present year. In one, charcoal, burned bones, small pieces of pottery, and worked flints were foiind on the original surface, and a few inches higher a very well worked flint javelin-point (see Plate IV., fig. 2.) What remained of the other tumulus was still protected by stones, which covered a deposit of fine soil, in which were found some pieces of iron-stone and of charcoal, but no trace of any interment; and neither bones, pottery, or flints were met with.

Rude Stone Monuments in all Countries Chapter V. At Dowth there was the usual miscellaneous assortment of things. A great quantity of globular stone-shot, probably slingstones; and in the chamber fragments of burned bones, many of wdiich proved to be human; glass and amber beads of unique shape, portions of jet bracelets, a curious stone button, a fibula, bone bodkins, copper pins, and iron knives and rings. Some years ago a gentleman residing in the neighbourhood cleared out a portion of the passage, and found a few iron antiquities, some bones of mammals, and a small stone urn, which he presented to the Irish Academy.¹ In so far as negative evidence is of value, it may be remarked that no flint implements and nothing of bronze — unless the copper pins are so classed — was found in any of these tumuli.

Note 1. Sir W. Wilde, 'The Boyne and the Blackwater,' p. 209.

Archæological Handbook of Gloucestershire. Swell Barrow 2 aka Pole's Wood South [Map]

This is in the parish of Upper Swell, half a mile from the village, and one and a half miles from Stow-on‑the‑Wold. Its length was 173 feet, its greatest width 57 feet, and greatest height eight feet six inches; its direction was east by north and west by south, the highest portion lying towards the east. Like the others in this neighbourhood it is composed of oolitic rubble and slabs, and is surrounded by a wall, which at the east end reached to a height of five feet, and here it assumed the "horned" shape. Only one chamber was found in the whole of this mound; this was twenty-four feet from the west end, and on the north side of the barrow; it had a passage leading to it similar to the last. The chamber was seven feet long, four feet wide, and three feet eight inches high. At least nine skeletons were found here, together with bones of the goat or sheep, ox, pig, and two pieces of pottery. In the passage were found three other skeletons. Near the surface of the barrow three bodies were discovered, evidently Saxons, as proved by the articles found with them, viz., two bronze buckles, an iron knife, and an amber bead.

See "Jour. Anthrop. Inst.," vol. V, p120.

Also "British Barrows," p521.

Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine 1885 V22 Pages 234-238. "Barrows Opened by Mr. Cunnington near Beckhampton, 1804.

"A group of barrows near Shepherds Shore [Map]. Mr. C. opened the smallest, which contained a cist with burnt bones and a jet ornament, a bone arrow-head, a pin, &c.

"Farther to the north-west, and under Morgan's Hill, is a group of four barrows [Map], nearly in a line; but lower down the vale are several others. Opened the second from the hill — of the Druid kind — five feet in elevation — burnt bones and a piece of slate, and a neat little urn, also several long amber beads, and two ivory or bone beads. Opened a tumulus lower down — a large rude black urn with burnt bones.

Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine 1907 V35 Pages 1-20. No. 8. Five small much decayed amber beads. Not illustrated.

No. 9. Small square tanged bronze awl, length 2in.

No. 10. Small tanged bronze awl. Curiously the two points are in wonderful preservation and quite sharp, while the central part is much decayed. Length 1⅝in.

No. 11. Tanged awl of bronze, length 3¼in.

No. 12. Small bronze dagger blade. It is too much corroded to see any ornamentation if it ever had any. The two rivets are still in it. Length 1¾in.

Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine 1907 V35 Pages 1-20. Lying near each other and from 6in. to 8in. from the head were the disc of gold and amber, the spherical bead, the gold-handled lancet, a small bronze blade and amber pommel, and the jet and amber beads. The beads had certainly been threaded together, and lay in rows embedded in the clay; the rows lay over one another as though the string of beads had been deposited in a little heap and not laid out in any order. They were not round the neck. Some of the beads were stained with bronze from actual contact with the small bronze blade.

Long Barrows of the Cotswolds. The following is Witts' account:-

" Its length was 173 feet, its greatest width 57 feet and greatest height, 8 feet 6 inches; its direction was E. by N. and W. by S., the highest portion lying towards the east. Like the others in this neighbourhood it is composed of oolitic rubble and slabs, and is surrounded by a wall, which at the east end reached to a height of 5 feet, where it assumed the 'horned' shape. Only one chamber was found in the whole of this mound; this was 24 feet from the W. end, and on the N. side of the barrow; it had a passage leading to it similar to the last [IF. 29. Cow Common Barrow, No. 21 in this book]. The chamber was 7 feet long, 4 feet wide and 3 feet 8 inches high. At least nine skeletons were found here, together with bones of the goat or sheep, ox, pig, and two pieces of pottery. In the passage were found three other skeletons. Near the surface of the barrow three bodies were discovered, evidently Saxons, as proved by the articles found with them, viz., two bronze buckles, an iron knife, and an amber bead."

Wessex from the Air Plate 33a. The other disc-barrow [Normanton Barrow 160 G3 [Map]] was opened in 1804 by Sir Richard Colt Hoare and his collaborator, Mr. William Cunnington. It 'produced within a small circular cist, an interment of burned bones, and with it, a great variety of amber, jet and glass beads' (Ancient Wiltshire, i, 1812, 205). These beads consist of two long notched beads of blue glass, five-eighths of an inch long, with six segments (Stourhead Catalogue, 1896, No. 154); eleven round amber beads (ibid, No. 154 a) and six fusiform lignite beads (ibid., No. 154 b).

O.G.S.C. [aged 41]

Wessex from the Air Plate 31. No. 11 is not visible on the air-photograph. It is small and flat and yielded a 'similar interment at a depth of about 12 in. from the surface '.

No. 12 is a large flat barrow in which we made two sections, but could discover no sepulchral signs whatever.' It is now distinguished by the heather which grows on it, giving it a dark appearance on the plate.

No. 13 had already been opened, but yielded a ' fine amber bead figured on Hoare's Plate XXXII, 2. It is the disc-barrow already referred to, immediately below us, with two tumps. It is one of the finest examples of its kind.

No. 14 yielded three burnt interments, one covered by an inverted urn, of which no account is given, and which is not known to have survived.

No. 15 contained a skeleton lying east and west.

No. 16, on which we are supposed to be sitting, 'is the largest barrow in the group, and has baffled our attempts, although we made a section 12 ft. square, and dug to the depth of 12 ft. 6 in. On the floor of the barrow we perceived evident marks of cremation.'

Wessex from the Air Plate 31. No. 8 is another disc-barrow, partially destroyed by the Roman road, as Stukeley also observed two hundred years ago. It has always hitherto been supposed to be circular, and is so marked on the 25-in. ordnance map; but this photograph shows that it is elliptical, the two tumps standing symmetrically at its foci. They must, therefore, be strictly contemporary, unlike those of nos. 7 and 13. Both appeared to Colt Hoare and his collaborator to have been opened before;

'... but on examining them we found ourselves repaid for our want of confidence in former explorators.... At the depth of rather more than 3 feet [in the tump farthest from the Roman road] we discovered a small cist containing the burned bones of one person, accompanied by about 100 amber beads of great variety [Fig. 40, a], and some flat pieces of amber [Fig. 40, b] There were besides, a small brass [w, for 'bronze'] pin and an arrowhead of the same metal [Fig. 40, c]. The other mound, that nearest to the Roman road, had, as well as the former, fragments of pottery intermixed with the soil; but we persevered in our researches, and at the depth of about 4 feet from the surface, discovered a cist containing burned bones, with several beads of glass, jet and amber.... This interment also had its little brass [sic, for ' bronze '] pin and a most beautiful little cup [Fig. 40, d].

Wessex from the Air Plate 31. No. 7 is a disc-barrow with two tumps, one in the centre, and the other, as may be seen, beside it. From this fact it may be concluded (as also in the case of no. 13) that the non-central tump was added later, some time after the central interment had been deposited. It was excavated by Mr. Cunnington in 1803, and it was found that one of the tumps had already been opened, and 'the other contained an interment of burned bones, with amber beads '.

Wiltshire Museum. DZSWS:STHEAD.249a. 4 amber beads and 2 V-perforated amber buttons (like shale buttons) created by splitting a large amber bead in half, found with primary cremations in two tumps (out of three) in disc barrow Winterbourne Stoke G14 [Map] (?), excavated by William Cunnington.

Finds Near Stow on the Wold. Barrow 2 [Pole's Wood South Barrow [Map]] — seen at times, by those gifted with second sight, swathed in unearthly flame. On its surface, at the horned end, with her head south, broken, and her bones displaced, lay a lady — between her knees, a small iron knife; below her breast, an amber bead, whilst two circular cabled fibulae fastened her shroud, one on each shoulder.

But, "place aux dames!" as Dr. Rolleston exclaimed, on further removal of the soil, the remains of other bodies appeared. The frame of a man, lying north-east by south-west, had been displaced to receive the lady's body. Skulls and bones of two infants were found. A Saxon family, prematurely cut ofi", would seem to have been committed to this particular spot, on the, even then, revered and ancient cairn. A singular circumstance attending this "find," was the arrival of a telegram, at a British barrow, summoning Dr. Rolleston, from the grave of the Saxon lady, to the sick bed of his sister. Progress indeed!

Wiltshire Museum. DZSWS:STHEAD.70c. 1 spherical amber bead found with a wrapped primary cremation under an inverted urn in disc barrow Winterbourne Stoke G67 [Map], excavated by William Cunnington.