| Summary: | ’Pygmy’, ‘incense’, ‘accessory’ or ‘funerary’ cups are small Early Bronze Age
vessels, almost all from mortuary contexts, united by their diminutive size.
Although several small-scale and regional studies have previously been
undertaken, until recently there has been little attempt to consider such vessels
as a whole. The vessels from the north of England were recently examined in
detail by Hallam (2015), and the present study of the southern English vessels
will complement Hallam’s work with the ultimate goal of producing a national
corpus. Details of over three hundred and fifty vessels, from thirty counties, are
presented together with a comprehensive literature review.
Analysis demonstrates how the form and depositional contexts of such vessels
probably arose within Beaker ceramic and funerary traditions. Many have
complex biographies, some being deposited ‘fresh’ whilst others are fragmented
or otherwise damaged. Perforations, long seen as a key feature of the tradition,
appear to be restricted to certain forms only, and it is suggested that
fenestration may be a development of this practice. Regional links and networks
may be discerned through the distribution of attributes and similar vessel types
and probably reflect trade networks. It is suggested that the cups had a primary
role within Early Bronze Age funerary rituals associated only with certain
individuals, perhaps marked out by the nature of their deaths === The full text will be available at the end of the embargo period: 21st Feb 2023
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