Later Bronze Age hoards, hoarding practices and depositional contexts in south-east and south-west Wales

这个AHRC合作博士伙伴关系的学生将涉及一项新的研究后青铜器时代的囤积和囤积做法在东南和西南威尔士。从公元前1500年到公元前800年，这项研究将包括黄金首饰、青铜工具、武器和铸造证据。在威尔士东南部，在这一时期，囤积的频率出现了一个陡峭的高峰，值得作为英国地区囤积“热点”之一进行研究。在这里，充满活力的青铜时代晚期地区斧头传统-南威尔士或斯托格西类型-引人注目。直到最近几年，随着重大的新发现，人们才有可能在威尔士西南部观察到一个独特的窖藏特征，这表明它与英格兰南部和法国北部的鲤鱼舌传统有着有趣的联系。自1999年威尔士便携式古物计划（PAS）开始，以及2002年《宝藏法案》的修订，包括史前文物收藏以来，该研究区域已报告了40个晚青铜器时代的收藏，占所有已知收藏的40%，并提供了许多新的未发表的材料。作为正在进行的宝藏报告过程的一部分，最近进行了许多宝藏发现点调查。访问和使用在这些调查期间创建的未发表的田野调查档案将为囤积行为提供新的证据和理解，从历史上看，人们对囤积行为知之甚少。通过系统的研究，明确研究区域内堆积物的特征和区域特征，并与邻近地区进行比较和对比。使用寿命、碎片模式、人工制品的选择、准备工作和在埋葬过程中的精心放置都将提供这些信息。与单一的当代发现及其发现点进行比较，访问许多新的PAS记录，将提供对人工制品选择性和沉积趋势的深入了解。此外，还会考虑与自然地理、地形和已知史前考古特征有关的贮藏物的景观选址。该项目将：及时重新评价与本材料有关的现有解释框架。考虑一下社会和交换关系，包括长途联系，是如何嵌入这些被选择和埋葬的人工制品群体中的。将自己的具体发现与青铜时代的更广泛的解释和综合结合起来。了解当前博物馆的实践，考虑和发展新的、适当的、鼓舞人心的方式，向广大公众展示“史前囤积”，从而产生有影响力的公共成果。研究问题包括：过去20年的囤积发现如何有助于对囤积和囤积行为的文化和时间框架以及地区身份的新理解？对贮藏物发现点的景观位置、埋葬方式以及与已知定居点、纪念碑和特征的关系的研究，能告诉我们关于埋葬它们的社会的什么信息？在青铜时代晚期，这些囤积和囤积行为能捕捉到什么关于交换关系、社区组织和远距离联系的信息呢？与单一青铜时代文物有关的沉积模式能告诉我们什么关于囤积的信息（反之亦然）？在今天的博物馆里，“史前囤积”和这一研究项目的成果如何以一种可访问的、参与性的和鼓舞人心的方式呈现给公众和游客？

This AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership studentship will involve a new study of Later Bronze Age hoards and hoarding practices in south-east and south-west Wales. Taking the chronological span 1500-800 BC, the study will include gold jewellery items, bronze tools, weapons and casting evidence. In south-east Wales, there is a steep observed peak in the frequency of hoarding during this period, meriting its study as one of the regional hoarding 'hot-spots' in Britain. Here, the vibrant Late Bronze Age regional axe tradition - the South Welsh or Stogursey type - figures large. Only in recent years, with significant new discoveries, has it been possible to observe a distinctive hoard signature in south-west Wales, suggesting intriguing connections with the Carp's Tongue tradition of southern England and northern France. Since the beginning of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) in Wales in 1999 and the revision of the Treasure Act in 2002 to include prehistoric hoards, 40 Later Bronze Age hoards have been reported in this study region, representing 40% of the entire known corpus and providing much new, unpublished material. Many hoard find-spot investigations have recently been carried out as part of the ongoing treasure reporting process. Access to and use of the unpublished fieldwork archive created during these investigations will contribute new evidence and understanding of hoarding practices, about which historically, little has been known. Through their systematic study, the character and regional identities of hoards in the study region will be defined, enabling comparisons and contrasts with neighbouring regions. The use-lives, fragmentation patterns, artefact selections, preparations and careful placing during their burial will all inform this. Comparisons with single contemporary finds and their find-spots, accessing many new PAS records, will offer insight into artefact selectivity and deposition trends. The landscape siting of hoards in relation to natural geographic, topographic and known prehistoric archaeological features will also be considered. The project will: Provide a timely re-appraisal of the existing interpretive frameworks linked with this material. consider how social and exchange relations, including long-distance connections, are embedded within these groups of selected and buried artefacts. Integrate its own specific findings within broader interpretations and syntheses of the Bronze Age. Be informed by current museums practice, considering and developing new, appropriate and inspiring ways to present 'prehistoric hoarding' to wide public audiences, thereby also generating impactful public outcomes. Research questions include: How can hoard discoveries of the past 20 years contribute to new understanding of the cultural and chronological framework and regional identities of hoards and hoarding practices? What can a study of the landscape locations of hoard find-spots, their manner of burial and their relationships with known settlements, monuments and features tell us about the societies who buried them? What information might these hoards and hoarding practices capture about exchange relations, the organisation of communities and long-distance connections in the Later Bronze Age? What can patterns of deposition relating to single Bronze Age artefacts tell us about hoards (and vice versa)? In museums today, how might 'prehistoric hoarding' and the outcomes of this research programme be presented to the public and visitors in an accessible, participatory and inspiring way?