Student and Early Careers Conference 2026: Tabitha Craig
Society and Identity amongst the Bell Beaker People of Southwest Scotland: An Integrated Analysis of the aDNA and Archaeological Evidence
Tabitha Craig.
Recent research published by Olalde et al1 and Patterson et al2 have provided insight into the Bell Beaker people as being ancestrally originating from the Pontic-Caspian Steppes, consequently reinvigorating the migration vs diffusion debate to explain the ‘arrival’ of Beaker culture in Britain. Our understanding of Bell Beaker populations across Britain is heavily influenced by findings made in southern England and, more recently with the publication of the Beaker People Project, north-east Scotland. Southwest Scotland has received comparatively little attention despite its potential to contribute to wider debates surrounding Beaker identity, migration, and social organisation. To advance our understanding of the Bell Beaker people within Britain we must devote attention to the most currently understudied regions and adopt an engendered approach to the available data. Integrating the new genetic data with the archaeological record will allow us to produce comprehensive interpretations of Beaker society, culture, mobility, and ancestry.
This paper presents the findings of a completed Master's dissertation that synthesises mortuary, settlement, genetic, and isotopic evidence to investigate Bell Beaker communities in south-west Scotland between c. 2400-1800 BCE. Drawing upon osteology, burials, settlement evidence, and recently published aDNA and isotope datasets, the study adopts an engendered and evidence-focused approach to explore questions of identity, mobility, kinship, and social organisation.
This research demonstrates that interpretations of Bell Beaker society based upon rigid assumptions of hierarchy, gender roles, and cultural homogeneity are not strongly supported by the available evidence. Analysis of burial practices suggests that biological sex had limited influence on mortuary treatment. Settlement evidence suggests a practice of seasonal occupation of lowland and upland landscapes. Genetic and isotopic evidence reveals complex patterns of ancestry and mobility. This research reveals regional variation within Beaker Britain, emphasising the importance of moving beyond southern English-centric models when interpreting Bell Beaker population and society.
By integrating archaeological and biomolecular evidence, this research offers a more nuanced understanding of Bell Beaker communities in south-west Scotland and contributes to broader discussions concerning identity, migration, and social organisation in later prehistoric Britain. More broadly, it demonstrates the value of interdisciplinary and regionally focused approaches for challenging long-standing assumptions within Bell Beaker studies.
