The Beaker People: project individuals, their funerary practices and their grave goods

Abstract

• This chapter introduces the individuals in the BPP Database, focusing on those dating to the Project's core period of 2500-1500 BC (rather than those found to date earlier or later: see Appendices 1 and 2 for thes), and especially those belonging to the Beaker period, from the 25th century to the 18th century BC, It starts with a regioin-by-region review of the individuals who were studied, then considers the range of funerary practices that are attested. Individual types of grave good associated with the BPP individuals are then discussed in detail, and the chapter finishes with some reflections on anspects of Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age funerary practice and material culture that finds echoes in Middle Neolitic Britain