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left-of-center2012

(34,195 posts)
Thu Feb 17, 2022, 07:56 AM Feb 2022

Ancient drum found in children's grave billed 'most important' piece of prehistoric art in 100 years

A 5,000-year-old chalk drum will go on public display for the first time next week, more than six years after it was first uncovered by archaeologists in England. The object was discovered alongside the burial of three children and has been billed "the most important piece of prehistoric art to be found in Britain in the last 100 years," in a press release by the British Museum, who will unveil it next week as part of the "World of Stonehenge" exhibition.

Project curator for the British Museum's exhibition, Jennifer Wexler, told CNN that "This drum is particularly intriguing, because it basically encompasses a sort of artistic language that we see throughout the British Isles at this time, and we're talking 5,000 years ago," Wexler told CNN.
The Burton Agnes drum has a "solar cross" on its top, and Wexler said the drum features "all these ideas that we're seeing across the board, but in one really amazing object" -- decorated with motifs resembling others seen in Scotland and Ireland.

"Because of this new discovery, we're actually able to date the skeletons with carbon-14 dating (also known as radiocarbon dating)," Wexler told CNN. "So what we have found out is that these style drums are 500 years older than we thought, which is amazing." The museum said the Folkton drums were previously believed to date to 2500-2000 BC, but radiocarbon dating from the Burton Agnes children showed a date of 3005-2890 BC, around the same time as initial construction of British monument Stonehenge.

Wexler said the children's skeletons will also undergo DNA analysis, which will be used to work out their relationship. She said they were of varying ages, with the eldest aged 10-12, while the younger ones were between six and nine years old and between three and five years old. They were found placed in the grave with the eldest holding the two younger ones, who were holding hands, and Wexler said the drum could have served as a toy for the children, and that there could have been wood versions that did not survive over time.

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/drum-discovery-stone-age-archaeology-grave-scn-scli-intl/index.html

Burton Agnes chalk drum, chalk ball and bone pin. 3005--2890 BC.
Credit: © The Trustees of the British Museum

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Ancient drum found in children's grave billed 'most important' piece of prehistoric art in 100 years (Original Post) left-of-center2012 Feb 2022 OP
FYI: Burton Agnes in Yorkshire is a village that is midway between Driffield and Bridlington. Botany Feb 2022 #1
Created 5,000 years ago and still beautiful nuxvomica Feb 2022 #2
I will be lucky if my artwork lasts more than a day after I'm gone Ferrets are Cool Feb 2022 #3
I'm burying a copy of my novel in the English countryside nuxvomica Feb 2022 #4
That was my thought too. Ferrets are Cool Feb 2022 #5
Wonder what the bone pin was used for. KS Toronado Feb 2022 #6
They weren't medical devices. ChazInAz Feb 2022 #7
Sounds like you have first hand knowledge KS Toronado Feb 2022 #9
Baby sister was the pokee. ChazInAz Feb 2022 #12
Where did you that that idea? left-of-center2012 Feb 2022 #10
Bone pins are used today to repair broken/fractured limbs KS Toronado Feb 2022 #11
Odd. There's conflicting info between the OP and the CNN link provided. 70sEraVet Feb 2022 #8

nuxvomica

(12,365 posts)
2. Created 5,000 years ago and still beautiful
Thu Feb 17, 2022, 09:57 AM
Feb 2022

I can imagine the artisan bemoaning the fact that once buried no one would ever see their work again and now the audience dwarfs that of their own time.

KS Toronado

(16,911 posts)
6. Wonder what the bone pin was used for.
Thu Feb 17, 2022, 10:27 AM
Feb 2022

Were they actually using these things 3000 years ago for fractured limbs?

ChazInAz

(2,535 posts)
7. They weren't medical devices.
Thu Feb 17, 2022, 10:40 AM
Feb 2022

Made of bone, they were used as garment fasteners, hair pins, and poking big sister to annoy her.

KS Toronado

(16,911 posts)
11. Bone pins are used today to repair broken/fractured limbs
Thu Feb 17, 2022, 02:33 PM
Feb 2022

ChazInAz above believes it refers to it as being made of bone, which is probably correct.

70sEraVet

(3,430 posts)
8. Odd. There's conflicting info between the OP and the CNN link provided.
Thu Feb 17, 2022, 10:43 AM
Feb 2022

The CNN link says this about the drum:
"Despite its name, the object is not thought to be a musical instrument but rather a piece of sculptural art."

But the OP has:
"Wexler said the drum could have served as a toy for the children, and that there could have been wood versions that did not survive over time."

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