The Bronze Age lasted from approximately 2700 to 800 BC. The archaeological record of this period is dominated by:
- graves
- monuments
- hoards of buried metalwork
In a period extending over two thousand years there were significant changes in the way people lived.
This story looks at two related aspects – developments in burial traditions, and the increase in the burial of valuable items. It describes changes in the rituals of burying the dead – the move from burial to cremation – and the role of grave goods. It also looks at the burial of metalwork hoards, which increase dramatically in the later Bronze Age.
The story focuses on the ritual nature of some deposits and their role at a time when the earlier burials fade from the archaeological record.