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. Accessory vessels vary greatly in size, shape and decoration.

Prehistoric pots were coil-built. This means they were made by building up rings of clay and smoothing the sides to flatten the bumpy surface. Bronze Age potters liked to decorate their creations. Elaborate, repeating incised or impressed patterns, like the dots seen here, are common. These were pushed into the soft, damp clay before firing.