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

这AHRC合作博士合作伙伴关系的学生将涉及青铜时代后期囤积和囤积在东南部和西南威尔士的做法的新研究。以公元前1500-800年为时间跨度，研究将包括黄金珠宝物品，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-南威尔士或斯托古尔西类型-数字大。直到最近几年，随着重大的新发现，才有可能在威尔士西南部观察到一个独特的囤积签名，这表明与英格兰南部和北方法国的鲤鱼舌传统有着有趣的联系。自1999年威尔士便携式文物计划（PAS）开始和2002年修订《宝藏法》以纳入史前囤积物以来，本研究区域已报告了40个青铜时代晚期囤积物，占整个已知语料库的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程序的一部分，最近进行了许多宝藏发现现场调查。访问和使用这些调查过程中创建的未发表的实地工作档案将有助于新的证据和囤积的做法，有关历史上，鲜为人知的理解。通过系统的研究，将确定研究区域内囤积物的特征和区域特征，从而与邻近区域进行比较和对比。使用寿命、破碎模式、人工制品的选择、准备工作和埋葬过程中的小心放置都将说明这一点。与单一的当代发现和他们的发现点，访问许多新的PAS记录的比较，将提供深入了解人工制品的选择性和沉积趋势。此外，亦会根据自然地理、地形及已知的史前习姓特徴，考虑窖藏地点的景观。该项目将：及时重新评估与这一材料有关的现有解释框架。考虑一下社会和交换关系，包括远距离联系，是如何嵌入这些选定和埋藏的人工制品群体中的。将自己的具体发现融入对青铜时代的更广泛的解释和综合。了解当前的博物馆实践，考虑并开发新的，适当的和鼓舞人心的方式来向广大公众展示“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年的窖藏发现如何有助于对窖藏和窖藏实践的文化和年代框架以及区域身份的新理解？如果研究发现宝藏的地点，它们的埋葬方式以及它们与已知定居点、纪念碑和特征的关系，我们能从埋葬它们的社会中得到什么？这些囤积和囤积行为可能捕获到什么关于青铜时代晚期交换关系、社区组织和远距离联系的信息？与单个青铜时代文物相关的沉积模式能告诉我们关于囤积的什么（反之亦然）？在今天的博物馆中，如何以一种可访问的、参与性的和鼓舞人心的方式向公众和游客展示“史前囤积”和这项研究计划的成果？

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Age hoards have been reported in this study region, representing 40% of the entire known corpus and providing much new, unpublished material.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 Access to and use of the unpublished fieldwork archive created during these investigations will contribute new evidence and understanding of hoarding practices, about which historically, little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?