Tears of the sun : Bronze Age amber spacers from Britain and Europe
The amber spacers from Bronze Age Britain and Europe are one of the most well known artefact groups from this time period. Yet despite the frequency with which these artefacts are cited, the details of these finds both individually and within their original excavation contexts appear to be poorly understood. Recent new finds of âsetsâ of spacers prompted this review and updating of the amber spacer corpus, which now extends to 375 individual spacers from 141 findspots. Once thought to constitute an artefact horizon which could provide a chronological bridge between the regions of Northwest Europe and Britain / the Central European ĂnÄtice/Tumulus Cultures and Late Helladic I and II Mycenaean Greece, new radiocarbon dating programs have extended their date range from (potentially) c. 2000 cal B.C. to c.1360 cal. B.C., although the regional chronologies remain essentially unresolved. To give a clear survey of how the spacers have been viewed historically, the catalogue entry for each findspot/spacer includes, as well as information about the findspots themselves, x-rays, photographs and drawings produced for this research, alongside all the previously published quotes and illustrations. Microscopic analyses
Verkooijen, Katharine Mary
Amber ; Spacer Plate ; Spacer Beads ; Bronze Age
Tears of the sun : Bronze Age amber spacers from Britain and Europe. The amber spacers from Bronze Age Britain and Europe are one of the most well known artefact groups from this time period. Yet despite the frequency with which these artefacts are cited, the details of these finds both individually and within their original excavation contexts appear to be poorly understood. Recent new finds of âsetsâ of spacers prompted this review and updating of the amber spacer corpus, which now extends to 375 individual spacers from 141 findspots. Once thought to constitute an artefact horizon which could provide a chronological bridge between the regions of Northwest Europe and Britain / the Central European ĂnÄtice/Tumulus Cultures and Late Helladic I and II Mycenaean Greece, new radiocarbon dating programs have extended their date range from (potentially) c. 2000 cal B.C. to c.1360 cal. B.C., although the regional chronologies remain essentially unresolved. To give a clear survey of how the spacers have been viewed historically, the catalogue entry for each findspot/spacer includes, as well as information about the findspots themselves, x-rays, photographs and drawings produced for this research, alongside all the previously published quotes and illustrations. Microscopic analyses
sun bronze_age britain_europe bronze_age britain_europe well_know artefact group time_period yet_despite frequency artefact cite detail find individually within original excavation context appear poorly_understood recent new find set prompt review update corpus extend individual think constitute artefact horizon could provide_chronological bridge region northwest_europe britain central_european cultures late_helladic mycenaean_greece new radiocarbon_date program extend date_range potentially cal cal although regional chronology remain essentially unresolved give clear survey view historically catalogue entry include well information x_ray photographs drawing produce alongside previously_publish quote illustration microscopic analysis