Rillaton barrow
Encyclopedia
Rillaton barrow is a Bronze Age
round barrow
in Cornwall
, United Kingdom
. The site is on the eastern flank of Bodmin Moor
in the parish of Linkinhorne
approximately four miles (6 km) north of Liskeard
.
Rillaton barrow was excavated in 1837 and found to contain a centrally-placed inhumation beneath the 25m wide barrow
. The burial had been placed in a stone cist
measuring 2m by almost 1m. Human remains were discovered along with grave goods
including a bronze dagger, beads, pottery, glass and other items.
(approx 2300 BC) ceramic beaker with corded decoration and was until 2007 thought to date to a much later period of c. 1650-1400 BC. In 2001 a similar cup was found at Ringlemere which has a similar corded style termed grooved ware. The artefacts in the grave were carbon dated
to approximately 2300 BC. Subsequent theories that it might have been a votive offering have now been abandoned in favour of it being part of the original grave goods in the Ringlemere barrow. The cup is of note due to its Aegean
style metalwork of the period and resembles similar finds from the Greek
site of Mycenae
, suggesting cultural and trading links with the Eastern Mediterranean. This provided the original date, since there was no carbon dating capability at the time of its discovery, however this date is now suspect and a date contingent to the Ringlemere cup of 2300 BC for its original deposit is favoured. The Rillaton Cup and the Pelynt Dagger are two artefacts that have been found in Cornwall that show contact with the Mycenaean
world.
The cup became lost after discovery but turned up years later in the dressing room of King George V
as a receptacle for his collar studs. It is now on show the British Museum
, next to the similar Ringlemere Cup
, though it still belongs to the Royal Collection
. An exact copy may be seen in the Royal Cornwall Museum
at Truro. In 2007 there have been calls in the local Cornish press for the Rillaton Gold Cup, along with the Morvah
Gold Hoard and Towednack
Gold Hoard to be returned to Cornwall from the British Museum.
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
round barrow
Round barrow
Round barrows are one of the most common types of archaeological monuments. Although concentrated in Europe they are found in many parts of the world because of their simple construction and universal purpose....
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The site is on the eastern flank of Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor is a granite moorland in northeastern Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is in size, and originally dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history....
in the parish of Linkinhorne
Linkinhorne
Linkinhorne is a civil parish and village in southeast Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village itself is situated at and is approximately four miles northwest of Callington and seven miles south of Launceston.-History and geography:As well as Linkinhorne itself, other settlements in the parish...
approximately four miles (6 km) north of Liskeard
Liskeard
Liskeard is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Liskeard is situated approximately 20 miles west of Plymouth, west of the River Tamar and the border with Devon, and 12 miles east of Bodmin...
.
Rillaton barrow was excavated in 1837 and found to contain a centrally-placed inhumation beneath the 25m wide barrow
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
. The burial had been placed in a stone cist
Cist
A cist from ) is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. Examples can be found across Europe and in the Middle East....
measuring 2m by almost 1m. Human remains were discovered along with grave goods
Grave goods
Grave goods, in archaeology and anthropology, are the items buried along with the body.They are usually personal possessions, supplies to smooth the deceased's journey into the afterlife or offerings to the gods. Grave goods are a type of votive deposit...
including a bronze dagger, beads, pottery, glass and other items.
The Rillaton Gold Cup
Most notably, the burial also contained the Rillaton Gold Cup, a biconical gold vessel, 90mm high, with a handle attached with rivets. The cup resembles a late NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
(approx 2300 BC) ceramic beaker with corded decoration and was until 2007 thought to date to a much later period of c. 1650-1400 BC. In 2001 a similar cup was found at Ringlemere which has a similar corded style termed grooved ware. The artefacts in the grave were carbon dated
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
to approximately 2300 BC. Subsequent theories that it might have been a votive offering have now been abandoned in favour of it being part of the original grave goods in the Ringlemere barrow. The cup is of note due to its Aegean
Aegean civilization
Aegean civilization is a general term for the Bronze Age civilizations of Greece around the Aegean Sea. There are three distinct but communicating and interacting geographic regions covered by this term: Crete, the Cyclades and the Greek mainland. Crete is associated with the Minoan civilization...
style metalwork of the period and resembles similar finds from the Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
site of Mycenae
Mycenae
Mycenae is an archaeological site in Greece, located about 90 km south-west of Athens, in the north-eastern Peloponnese. Argos is 11 km to the south; Corinth, 48 km to the north...
, suggesting cultural and trading links with the Eastern Mediterranean. This provided the original date, since there was no carbon dating capability at the time of its discovery, however this date is now suspect and a date contingent to the Ringlemere cup of 2300 BC for its original deposit is favoured. The Rillaton Cup and the Pelynt Dagger are two artefacts that have been found in Cornwall that show contact with the Mycenaean
Mycenaean Greece
Mycenaean Greece was a cultural period of Bronze Age Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese of southern Greece. Athens, Pylos, Thebes, and Tiryns are also important Mycenaean sites...
world.
The cup became lost after discovery but turned up years later in the dressing room of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
as a receptacle for his collar studs. It is now on show the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, next to the similar Ringlemere Cup
Ringlemere Cup
The Ringlemere Gold Cup is a Bronze Age vessel found in the Ringlemere barrow near Sandwich in the English county of Kent in 2001 by metal detectorist Cliff Bradshaw. Although badly crushed by recent plough damage it can be seen to have been 14 cm high with corrugated sides...
, though it still belongs to the Royal Collection
Royal Collection
The Royal Collection is the art collection of the British Royal Family. It is property of the monarch as sovereign, but is held in trust for her successors and the nation. It contains over 7,000 paintings, 40,000 watercolours and drawings, and about 150,000 old master prints, as well as historical...
. An exact copy may be seen in the Royal Cornwall Museum
Royal Cornwall Museum
The Royal Cornwall Museum is a museum in the city of Truro, Cornwall, England. It is the oldest museum in Cornwall and the leading museum of Cornish culture. Its exhibits include minerals, an unwrapped mummy and objects relating to Cornwall’s unique culture...
at Truro. In 2007 there have been calls in the local Cornish press for the Rillaton Gold Cup, along with the Morvah
Morvah
Morvah is a civil parish and village on the Penwith peninsula in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately eight miles west-southwest of St Ives and 5½ miles north-west of Penzance....
Gold Hoard and Towednack
Towednack
Towednack is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The parish is bounded by those of Zennor in the west, Gulval in the south, Ludgvan in the east and St Ives in the north...
Gold Hoard to be returned to Cornwall from the British Museum.
External links
- http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_prb/t/the_rillaton_gold_cup.aspx British Museum website; the Rillaton gold cup
- http://www.culture24.org.uk/history+%2526+heritage/time/art14833 Cornish Guardian newspaper article about Rillaton Barrow. Published 2003. Retrieved April 2010