Grooved ware facts for kids

A shard from the rim of a large grooved Cornish urn

Grooved ware is the name for a unique style of pottery from the British Neolithic period. This was a time when people started farming and living in settled communities. The people who made this pottery are sometimes called the Grooved ware people.

Unlike some pottery styles that arrived from other countries, Grooved ware seems to have started in Orkney, Scotland. This happened very early in the 3rd millennium BC, which is about 5,000 years ago! Soon after, this pottery style became popular across Britain and Ireland.

What is Grooved Ware?

The easiest way to spot Grooved ware is by its shape. These pots usually have a flat bottom and straight sides that slope outwards. They also have special grooved patterns around the top part.

But not all Grooved ware looks the same! There are many different kinds. Some have really fancy geometric designs. Others have extra bands of clay added to them. Because of these added bands, some archaeologists think that Grooved ware might have copied the look of wicker baskets. This is called a skeuomorph, which means one object is made to look like another, even if it's made from a different material.

What Was Grooved Ware Used For?

Archaeologists have found many Grooved ware pots at important ancient sites. These include henge sites and burial places. This suggests that the pots might have been used for special rituals or ceremonies, not just for everyday tasks.

Grooved ware pots come in many sizes. Some are very large, big enough to hold about 30 gallons! These huge pots might have been used for making drinks like ale through a process called fermentation. Most Grooved ware pots are smaller, though. They range from the size of a jug to a cup. These smaller pots were likely used for serving and drinking.

Where Was Grooved Ware Found?

The very first examples of Grooved ware were found in Orkney. It's possible that this style grew out of an older type of pottery called Unstan ware bowls.

Excavations at a nearby site called Ness of Brodgar have uncovered many pieces of beautifully decorated Grooved ware. Some of these pieces belonged to very large pots. Many drinking cups have also been found there.

The Grooved ware style quickly spread across Britain. It was even used by the people who built the first parts of Stonehenge. Lots of Grooved ware pottery has been found at sites like Durrington Walls and Marden Henge in Wiltshire. At these places, people likely had big feasts, drinking ale and eating pork. Smaller amounts of Grooved ware have also been found at Figsbury Ring.

How Did Grooved Ware Spread?

One idea is that Grooved ware spread along trade routes, especially up the west coast of Britain. It's interesting because even though different regions shared the same pottery style, they still kept their own unique traditions.

Evidence from some early Henges, like Mayburgh Henge, Ring of Brodgar, and Arbor Low, suggests they were important meeting and trading spots. These places might have been like a "motorway" for trade during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods. This could explain how things like Cumbrian stone axes traveled all the way to the Orkney Islands.

Unstan Ware: A Related Style

Unstan ware is another type of pottery that developed in the Orkney Islands. It's a bit different from classic Grooved ware. The people who used Unstan ware had different ways of burying their dead. However, they managed to live alongside the Grooved ware people.

In some areas, archaeologists have found special burial sites called chambered cairns that mix features from both styles. This shows how these different groups might have influenced each other over time.