CEMEXUK
A woman of importance?
Archaeological excavations at CEMEX’s Kingsmead Quarry in Berkshire, not far from Windsor, have revealed a rare ‘Beaker’ burial of ‘Copper Age’ date (2500-2200 BC). The burial represents an unusual and important find as the remains were those of a woman and within the grave were some gold ornaments.
This follows the find at Kingsmead of four Neolithic houses which date back over 5,700 years, unprecedented on a single site in England.
Dr Stuart Needham, a leading expert on Copper Age metalwork, who is presently studying the gold ornaments said: “Beaker graves of this date are almost unknown in South East England and only a small number of them, and indeed in continental Europe, contain gold ornaments. The tubular beads that were found at Kingsmead Quarry are certainly rare in Britain.
The burial contained the remains of a woman who was at least 35 years old. At the time of her burial, she wore a necklace containing small tubular sheet gold beads and black disc beads of lignite - a material similar to jet.
A woman of importance?
Archaeological excavations at CEMEX’s Kingsmead Quarry in Berkshire, not far from Windsor, have revealed a rare ‘Beaker’ burial of ‘Copper Age’ date (2500-2200 BC). The burial represents an unusual and important find as the remains were those of a woman and within the grave were some gold ornaments.
This follows the find at Kingsmead of four Neolithic houses which date back over 5,700 years, unprecedented on a single site in England.
Dr Stuart Needham, a leading expert on Copper Age metalwork, who is presently studying the gold ornaments said: “Beaker graves of this date are almost unknown in South East England and only a small number of them, and indeed in continental Europe, contain gold ornaments. The tubular beads that were found at Kingsmead Quarry are certainly rare in Britain.
The burial contained the remains of a woman who was at least 35 years old. At the time of her burial, she wore a necklace containing small tubular sheet gold beads and black disc beads of lignite - a material similar to jet.