Hello everyone, Alex Iles here, and welcome back to the Ingram Valley in Northumberland National Park! Today, we’re delving into the fascinating and poignant topic of how Bronze Age people dealt with death and honored their departed.
Setting the Scene: The Beaker People and Land Ownership
As we’ve discussed before, the Bronze Age in Britain saw a new migration of people: the Beaker people. Known for their distinctive, beautifully crafted beakers, these people brought new customs and traditions to the British Isles.
Just like the Neolithic people before them, the Beaker people used burial practices to claim the land. By interring their dead in the landscape, they asserted their presence and ownership.
From Cairns to Communal Burial Sites
While Neolithic people used cairns for worship or burial, the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age saw the construction of smaller cairns by the newly arrived Beaker people. These cairns often featured a central burial, with stones piled on top.
Turf Knowe: A Contested Cairn and a Panoramic View
Here on Turf Knowe, we encounter a type of cairn known as a tri-radial cairn, with three arms extending from the center. However, its classification is contentious. Some archaeologists believe these are sheep folds, not burial monuments. Others argue they are indeed Bronze Age funerary monuments, simply under-researched.
Regardless of its true purpose, the view from this hilltop is stunning, suggesting that if it were a burial site, it was chosen for its commanding position. This would allow the spirits of the dead to overlook the landscape.
A Bronze Age Cairn: From Singular Burial to Communal Site
On the other side of the hill, we find another Bronze Age cairn, a more definitively funerary monument. This cairn began with a central burial, likely for a significant individual in the community.
The Central Burial and Later Additions:
The central burial, now just an impression in the soil due to acidic conditions, was originally covered by a capstone. A curb of large stones was placed around the outside, adding to its grandeur.
Later, an additional burial was added, marked by two long stones and two capstones of pink anchorite stone. Subsequently, cremations were added, including those of a 30-year-old, an 18-year-old, and a child. A beautiful Bronze Age beaker, containing the remains of a two-year-old child who died of meningitis, was also found here. This cairn evolved from a singular burial site to a communal site, representing the entire community. It became a focal point for the local people, a place where the spirits of the dead watched over the living.
Claiming the Landscape: The Living and the Dead
The cairn’s strategic location, which would later overlook views of hill forts and settlements, highlights the connection between the living and the dead. The dead were placed in positions to oversee the landscape, while the living, including powerful aristocrats in their hill forts, asserted their control.
From Neolithic to Bronze Age: Continuity and Change
The Beaker people, upon their arrival, reused existing Neolithic monuments, burying their dead within them. They added their own burials, transforming these sites into communal burial grounds, further solidifying their connection to the land. Later in the Early Medieval period, people we call the Anglo-Saxons would do the same again, claiming the land with their burials within Bronze Age mounds!
A Legacy of Ownership and Remembrance
Bronze Age burial practices were not just about honoring the dead; they were also about claiming the land, establishing ownership, and creating a lasting connection between the living and their ancestors.
Stay Connected and Support the Channel
I hope this exploration of Bronze Age burial practices has provided insight into their beliefs and customs. Until next time, stay safe and well, and I look forward to sharing more history with you in the near future. Thank you very much!
