Project title: Experiment about the use of funnel beakers

Researcher: Eva Koch, Ph.D. archaeology, National Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark

E- mail: eva.koch(a)natmus.dk

Year: 2004

Abstract:

There are many archaeological finds of pots deposited in bogs in the Neolithic. Traditionally these are interpreted as votive offerings. A handbook in fishing written in 1649 has given inspiration to a completely new interpretation though! In the book you can find an instruction in fishing with an old pot with burnt porridge. Can this technique also have been known in the Neolithic and be the explanation of the many pots found in the bogs? The aim of the experiment was to try this out in practice and how the fishing method is working for catching crayfish.

2 series of funnel beakers was reconstructed (17 in all). In the most of the pots were different food e.g. porridge, fish soup and milk cooked. The residues were left in the pot and the pot was put down in a lake with crayfish and crusians. During 7 nights 83 crayfish and 29 crusians were caught. The pots with food residues from milk were most effective. An unexpected result of putting the pots in the lake was, that it turned out to be a very efficient way to “do the dishes”. Pots with residues of burnt porridge came up “clean” the next day. Even though ritual offering can still be the explanation behind some of the pots in the bogs, more down-to-earth explanation like cleaning and fishing could be possible too.

Reference number: HAF 12/04