Selective deposition in the British Early Bronze Age

Abstract

Abstract The contextual and spatial distributions of metalwork in Early Bronze Age Britain make a clear case for the differential use of the various metal equipment available. This paper concentrates on deposition and argues that various depositional modes were intended to be permanent. There is a complex interplay between and within grave contexts, hoards and single finds, with mutual exclusion as a dominant feature. Extant distributions are considered to be largely due to positive selection processes in deposition, a conclusion with implications for the metal stocks in circulation. Suggestions regarding the use of early metalwork in display and parade, as denoter of rank or symbolic expression, as well as associations with ritual sites, contribute to a social theory which is advanced to account for the main customs of deposition observed.