Bronze age grave goods from Bedd Branwen burial site, Anglesey

Description

Grave goods from the Bronze Age which 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 pottery urns. Sometimes items such as tools, weapons or personal ornaments were burnt and/or buried with the deceased. The grave goods shown here include weapons such as arrow heads, arrow smoothers and battle axes. Also shown are a bone pommel which fits on the end of the handle of a knife and a sandstone hone, on which to sharpen the non-existent blade of the knife. Both these items were found in burial B where they had been burnt with the body.