Wessex and Tumulus Cultures: Bronze Age Britain & Central Europe
Wessex Culture
The Wessex culture flourished in prehistoric Wessex, a region geographically located in the south of Great Britain during the Bronze Age. Chronologically, it developed particularly during the Early Bronze Age. Their burial practices included both inhumation and cremation, with or without burial mounds, either isolated or in groups. Around 1600 to 1400 BC, cremation became the dominant rite.
It is believed that the inhabitants lived in dwellings constructed from reeds and wood. The abundance of remains suggests a sedentary lifestyle rather than a nomadic one. Trade relations were likely well-developed, evidenced by the presence of numerous artifacts not native to the area, such as bronze swords from Bohemia, amber necklaces from Southern Europe, and faience beads from Egypt.
The Tumulus Culture
The Tumulus culture, also known as the Mounds Culture, was an archaeological culture that developed in Central Europe during the Middle Bronze Age, between 1600 BC and 1200 BC. This cultural complex spread across areas previously occupied by the Unetice Culture, including the Czech Republic, central and southern Germany, and western Poland. It is named for the prevalence of burial mounds (or tumuli) used for individual burials or cremations.
This practice, along with the abandonment of earlier necropolises, has often been seen as a significant break with the past. However, recent discoveries indicate that burial mounds were already appearing during the Unetice period. Most of the tombs are located away from the most fertile land, often in forested mountain areas, leading to the interpretation that their builders were primarily pastoral communities.
Recent discoveries in Bavaria and Bohemia, however, reveal evidence of settlements on flatlands, including both large towns and isolated dwellings identified through pits or silos. The buildings themselves have not survived. Decorated ceramics, storage containers, and a few bronze objects have been found at these sites.
Burial Practices and Social Structure
The mounds were typically round or oval and were often surrounded by a circle of stones. Initially, inhumation was the predominant rite (except in Bohemia), but cremation gradually increased, becoming the dominant funerary practice by 1300 BC. Clear gender distinctions are evident in the grave goods, which are generally homogeneous. Male burials often contain knives, axes, metal ornaments (such as needles and pins), and sometimes long swords and ceramic vessels. Female burials, on the other hand, typically lack weapons but feature bronze ornaments and accessories (needles, bracelets, pendants, etc.).
The mounds appear both in isolation and in extensive necropolises containing up to 500 structures (e.g., Dýšina in Bohemia or the Forest of Haguenau in Alsace, which is particularly rich in bronze objects). These cemeteries are separated by large areas devoid of any traces, which has been interpreted as potential boundaries between different groups.
Settlements and Transition
The deposition of animal bones in graves, as well as other types of offerings, was common. Bronze items were produced using stone molds, facilitating the proliferation of metal ornaments. Settlements in elevated areas were often small and naturally defended, sometimes reinforced by walls of wood and earth, with one or more trenches. Houses were rectangular or trapezoidal, constructed from wood and perishable materials.
Around 1300 BC, the homogeneity of the Tumulus culture groups in Central Europe began to diminish, with villages being abandoned in favor of fortified settlements in isolated and well-defended locations. In Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia, the change was less drastic, with existing villages sharing territory with newly constructed fortified centers. This marked the beginning of a slow transition that eventually led to the emergence of the first fortified settlements.