Department: Archaeology

Small pottery cups are often found buried in Bronze Age graves alongside other pots. They are sometimes called accessory vessels. Archaeologists are not sure what the function of these tiny pots was.

Pots were made on a household scale and vary greatly in size, shape and decoration. Bronze Age potters liked to decorate their creations. Elaborate, repeating incised or impressed patterns, like the cross-hatching and perforations here, are common. These were pushed into the soft, damp clay before firing.