The Beaker isotope project: mobility, migration and diet in the British Early Bronze Age

Project start date: 2005/06

Project end date: 2010/05

Were the `Beaker people´ immigrants or indigenous to prehistoric Britain? Nineteenth century antiquarian barrow-diggers observed that the wide-headed (brachycephalic) skulls of Beaker burials were distinguishable from the narrow (dolichocephalic) skulls within Neolithic long barrows, and attributed these to different populations. Since then, theories of a migrant `Beaker folk´ have been contested by alternative theories which interpret the distinctive material culture as part of a Europe-wide `Beaker package´ or cultural pattern adopted by local communities. The objectives of the project are to resolve this question by: a) systematically sampling a large proportion of the surviving, well-preserved skeletal remains of the Beaker period for a comprehensive range of isotopes relating to the reconstruction of individuals´ diet and mobility, b) systematically recording and/or reassessing these individuals´ dentition (through studies of microwear and macrowear) and skeletal remains which will shed light on diet, health, trauma, physical stress and funerary manipulation, and c) improving knowledge of these individuals´ social and temporal context through systematic study of their burial contexts, circumstances of discovery and chronology.