The Pottery of the Later Bronze Age in Lowland England

Abstract

This paper discusses the development of pottery styles in southern and eastern England during the first half of the first millennium B.C. The region discussed is Hawkes' Southern Province (1959, fig. 1), and excursions will also be made into the Eastern Province (fig. 1).The discussion of settlement sequences, and the dating of individual sites, is still largely dependent upon ceramic refuse derived from such sites. The analysis of settlement patterns for the earlier part of the first millennium B.C. thus rests upon our understanding of the ceramic traditions of that period, and this has led to considerable confusion. Two problems must be isolated at the outset. The first results from the re-evaluation of British Bronze Age chronology which took place in the 1950's, leading to Hawkes' 1960 scheme and then to Burgess' rather rigid reading of the evidence nine years later (Butler and Smith 1956; Smith, M. A. 1959; Smith, I. F. 1961; Hawkes 1960; Burgess 1969). The main effect, if we are to follow Burgess, was to draw Beakers, Food Vessels and most Urn forms back into an early Bronze Age the end of which, around 1400 B.C., was marked by the end of the Wessex grave series. As for the Middle and Late Bronze Age Burgess concluded that ‘over much of the British Isles there are no settlements, burials, defended sites, pottery, or other non-metallic cultural material which can safely be assigned to the Middle or Late Bronze Age. There are a few localized exceptions such as the Deverel-Rimbury culture and Flat-rim ware’ (Burgess 1969, 29).

The Shaugh Moor Project: Fourth Report — Environment, Context and Conclusion

“…Barrett (1976) has indicated that the terminal date for rich Wessex graves may lie in the early twelfth century and that the Deverel-Rimbury complex has much of its emphasis within the early Bronze Age, although some overlap is apparent with post-Deverel-Rimbury groups of the first half of the first millennium be (Barrett 1980). Barrett (1976) has indicated that the terminal date for rich Wessex graves may lie in the early twelfth century and that the Deverel-Rimbury complex has much of its emphasis within the early Bronze Age, although some overlap is apparent with post-Deverel-Rimbury groups of the first half of the first millennium be (Barrett 1980).…”

A Late Bronze Age Landscape at South Hornchurch, Essex

“…The pottery could be broadly separated into 'early' (Phases 1 and 2) and 'late' (Phase 3) groups on the basis of forms, fabrics, and decoration, in comparison with assemblages from other sites in the region. The general assumption for this period is that an increase in decoration has mainly chronological significance; this was the basis of Barrett's (1980) division of the Post Deverel-Rimbury (PDR) and is supported by the evidence from, for instance Runnymede Bridge (Longley 1991, 170). At Hornchurch differences 11.…”

Flintworking in the British Later Bronze and Iron Ages: Acruical Review and Statement of Research Potential

“…For the purposes of this paper, the tripartite terminology employed by metalwork scholars is retained but is defined ceramically, not on the basis of metalwork. Thus the Middle and Late phases of the Bronze Age, collectively referred to as the "later Bronze Age," are defined here by their associations with Deverel Rimbury (c. 1500-1100 BC) and Post-Deverel Rimbury (c. noo-6oo BC with an "early" (LBA) utblc Technology, vol.33-2 plainware phase (c.uoo-8ooBC) and "later" (transitional LBA/EIA) decorated (c. 8oo-6oo BC phase) pottery respectively (Barrett 1980). Regarding the Iron Age, British archaeologists have advocated a tripartite division of this period-Early (700-450 BC), Middle (450-100 BC) and Late (100 BC-AD 43) -based on changes in the ceramic sequence (Hill1995a: 47).…”