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France

Vix Crater

The Vix crater (used for serving wine mixed with water) is the largest metal vessel surviving from the classical world. It was made about 540 BC, probably at Sparta in southern Greece, and was found in 1952 in the grave of an aristocratic woman in Burgundy in eastern France. It emphasises the social importance of alcoholic drink in many different societies. Continue reading →

Varna Penis Sheath

The cemetery of Varna, Bulgaria is situated on the Black Sea coast. It dates to the Copper Age or Chalcolithic (late 6th millennium-5th millennium BC). The site was excavated in the 1970s and was immediately recognised as being significant as probably the earliest evidence for gold working in prehistoric Europe (Renfrew 1986). Continue reading →