Marine shell beads from three inland Later Mesolithic sites in western Britain

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Marine shell ornaments in the Mesolithic have often been considered as ‘local’ products found in locations close to where they occur naturally. In this paper we turn attention to three sites in western Britain where bead ornaments have been found well away from the contemporary shoreline. The shell beads come from recent excavations at King Arthur’s Cave, Madawg Rockshelter (Wye Valley, Herefordshire), and at Three Holes Cave (Torbryan Valley, Devon). The molluscan genera are represented by cowrie (Trivia sp.), flat periwinkle (Littorina obtusata) and a single specimen of dentalium (Dentalium sp.). As well as aspects of bead-making technology, we review the dating evidence at each of the three sites and make broader comparisons with other finds in Britain and adjacent areas of Ireland and France. We also re-examine the issue of bias in the distribution of shell artefacts along the Atlantic façade.

Authors: Barton, RNE; Roberts, AJ

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Lithic Studies Society
• Host title: No Stone Unturned: Papers in Honour of Roger Jacobi
• Pages: 191-207
• Series: Lithic Studies Society Occasional Paper
• Series number: 9
• Publication date: 2015-01-01
• Edition: 1
• ISBN: 0951324640
• Language: English
• Subjects: Archaeology