Beaker culture Facts for Kids

The brown areas show where the beaker culture was

The Bell-Beaker culture (or Beaker culture, Beaker people or Beaker folk) is the name of a cultural phenomenon which occurred in large parts of Western Europe, roughly between 2800 BC and 2200 BC (in Great Britain until about 1900 BC). Today, it is unclear whether this can be seen as a culture.

Paul Reinecke was the first to use the word Glockenbecher (bell-shaped cup) in German, around 1900. Other historians from Italy and Czechoslovakia had used similar terms before.

Gordon Childe thought that the people were missionaries, who also had the knowledge how to make copper. They spread from the Iberian peninsula on the edges of Europe with the oceans. The typical items linked to the movement were prestige items reserved to the upper class, according to Steven Shennan. Christian Strahm talk about a Glockenbecherphänomen (bell-shaped cup phenomenon), to avoid the word culture.

typical objects found in graves of the Beaker culture

People of the movement were buried in a special way: Often stone chests were used. In the western part of the culture, burials in megalithic tombs and caves are common - the burial rites are often adapted to local customs. People were buried in an embryonic position:

Women had their head facing south, their feet facing north, extremities to the right
Men's heads faced north, feet south; extremities faced left.

This means that both looked east, when buried.

Today, little is known about the settlements used by the culture. The only places where settlements/remains of settlements that were done at approximately the same time were found is in Knowth in Ireland, and one in Switzerland.

Another culture that might have influenced the Beaker culture is the Corded Ware culture, mainly found in Northern Europe.

Images for kids

Bell Beaker artefacts, Lunteren, Netherlands. Rijksmuseum of Oudheden
According to Allentoft (2015), the Sintashta culture probably derived at least partially from the Corded Ware Culture. Nordqvist and Heyd (2020) confirm this.
Bell beaker, Vaassen, Netherlands Rijksmuseum of Oudheden
Bell Beakers from Thuringia, Germany and Tököl, Hungary, c. 2500-2200 BC
Bell Beaker burial from Shrewton, England, 2470–2210 BC
Gold wristguard from Vila Nova de Cerveira, Portugal.
Gold lunula and discs from Coggalbeg, Ireland, c. 2300 BC.
Ferriby boat model and replica tools
Bell Beaker sites in Italy
Tetrapod vase, necropolis of Santu Pedru, Alghero
Bell Beaker from Uddelermeer, Netherlands.
Bell Beaker from Ciempozuelos
Gold disks from western Asturias
Model of the Castro of Zambujal, Portugal
Reconstruction of a Beaker burial, Spain.
Bell Beaker from the Czech Republic
Anthropomorphic stele from Sion, Switzerland
Copper dagger from Brandenburg, Germany
Gold lunula from Lower Saxony, Germany
Pömmelte sanctuary, Germany.
Gold discs from Eythra, Germany
Csepel group house, Hungary.
Stone wristguard
Gold lunula from Blessington, c. 2400 BC
Gold discs from Tedavnet, c.2200 BC.
Bell Beaker ceramic from Ireland, c. 2200 BC
Reconstruction of a halberd from Carn
Beaker, wristguard with gold studs, copper dagger and toggle.
Gold lunula from Scotland.
Stonehenge
Silbury Hill

Beaker culture facts for kids

Images for kids

See also