Great Expectations No.1 The Beaker Complex:
For the Beaker People (2500 BCE)
by Rebecca Strickson Illustration (Margate)
Red Earthware, White Stoneware & Black Pigment
11cm x 10cm diameter & 7.5cm x 7.5cm diameter
£300 each
The Bell Beaker culture, also known as the Bell Beaker complex or Bell Beaker phenomenon, is an archaeological culture named after the inverted-bell beaker drinking vessel used at the very beginning of the European Bronze Age, arising from around 2800 BC. Bell Beaker culture lasted in Britain from c. 2450 BC, with the appearance of single inhumation graves, until as late as 1800 BC.
Further distinguishing them from the Neolithic societies is their association with the introduction of metalworking to Britain. From its place of origin in the Near East, knowledge of metal working had spread through most of Europe by this point. However, the Neolithic people of Britain had isolated themselves from the rest of the continent, remaining firmly in the Stone Age. The Beaker people changed this, bringing the skill of refining metal to the isles, first with the smelting of copper and then the smelting of bronze with its discovery around 2150 BCE. The Bronze Age had truly arrived in Britain.
Along with their distinctive pottery and metalworking the Beaker people brought archery to Britain and the first golden artifacts. They also continued construction on pre-existing neolithic monuments such as Stone Henge. The Bell Beaker phenomenon shows substantial regional variation, and a study from 2018 found that it was associated with genetically diverse populations.