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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
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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

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