Beaker Folk - invasion of the Round Heads?
The discovery of later neolithic early bronze age pots of a distinctive nature, called Beakers combined with a change from long headed brains to round headed heads has long fed speculation that the Beakers represented an influx (invasion?) of new people into Britain.
The idea fell out of favour in Archaeology as in our post-colonial times archaeologists hate to suggest any change takes place through invasion but recently the use of Isotope analysis on teeth has shown, for instance, that the so called Amesbury Archer was from somewhere near Switzerland and that 3 of the Boscombe Down Bowmen were from Wales or North West France.
So a group have set up a Beaker People Project and Mike Parker Pearson has written a piece about it in 'The Archaeologist' Autumn 2006.
Initial findings show no isotope differences in the diets of beaker and non beaker burials, although the Beaker folk had less pits and scratches on their teeth! The difference between the long and round head takes place over a long period so may be due to genetic factors not influx of new people.
So, as yet, no nearer to discoverying the truth about Beakers.
The idea fell out of favour in Archaeology as in our post-colonial times archaeologists hate to suggest any change takes place through invasion but recently the use of Isotope analysis on teeth has shown, for instance, that the so called Amesbury Archer was from somewhere near Switzerland and that 3 of the Boscombe Down Bowmen were from Wales or North West France.
So a group have set up a Beaker People Project and Mike Parker Pearson has written a piece about it in 'The Archaeologist' Autumn 2006.
Initial findings show no isotope differences in the diets of beaker and non beaker burials, although the Beaker folk had less pits and scratches on their teeth! The difference between the long and round head takes place over a long period so may be due to genetic factors not influx of new people.
So, as yet, no nearer to discoverying the truth about Beakers.
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