WHAT IS THE BEAKER ?

BEAKER: A simple pottery drinking vessel without handles, more deep than wide, much used in prehistoric Europe. The pottery was usually red or brown burnished ware, decorated with horizontal panels of combor cord-impressed designs. It was distributed in Europe from Spain to Poland, and from Italy to Scotland in the years after 2500 bc; the international bell beaker is particularly widespread, though uncommon in Britain. In Britain there are local variants: the long-necked (formerly A) beakers of eastern England and the short-necked (formerly C) beakers of Scotland. There were local developments elsewhere, such as the Veluwe beakers in the Netherlands. Beaker vessels are commonly found in graves, which were often single inhumations under round barrows; commonly associated finds include copper or bronze daggers and ornaments, flint arrowheads, stone wristguards, and stone battle axes. In many northern and western areas its users were the first to start

copper metallurgy. The widespread distribution of beaker finds has led to the frequent identification of a Beaker people and speculations about their origins.