Beaker (archaeology)

In archaeology, a beaker is a small round ceramic or metal cup, a drinking vessel shaped to be held in the hands.

“Typical” bell beakers appear to be the earliest type and are often covered with decoration made from impressing twisted cord into the unfired clay.

Where comb designs are used, perhaps along with cord impressions they are called all-over ornamented (AOO) beakers.

Some have a looped handle on one side or a white coloured material pressed into the decoration, contrasting with the usual orange or brown ceramic.

However, work by Humphrey Case[citation needed] in the 1990s suggests that all three styles were used contemporaneously, with different shapes used for different purposes.

9-10th century beaker from Iran . Blown and relief-cut glass. New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“Typical” bell-beakers at Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte, Berlin.