Bronze Age pottery from Bedd Branwen burial site, Anglesey

Description

These pottery urns date from the Bronze Age and were discovered at the burial site known as 'Bedd Branwen' [Branwen's Grave], near the river Alaw, Llanbabo, Anglesey.

By 1600 B.C. cremation had become the normal means of human burial. Following the cremation ceremony, the ashes and bones were either gathered and buried in a hole in the ground or were left on the surface. More attention was paid to the ashes on some occasions and they were placed in containers such as the pottery urns shown here.

The two large pots shown here are cremation urns which belong to two separate burials. The larger of the two urns (from burial L) has a decorated collar with a rope design. An accessory pot was also found nearby which contained the ear-bones of a baby. The smaller of the two cremation urns (from burial C) has a collar which has been decorated with sharp incisions. No accessory pots were found with this burial but a single jet bead had been placed at the bottom of the urn as a grave offering.

The smallest of the three pots is an acessory pot. These smaller vessels were often placed near the cremation urn and may have contained food or drink. This acessory pot was found close to burial H and contained dark earth and the ear-bones of a new-born baby.