Hove Amber Cup 

1500BC

The Hove Amber Cup is considered to be one of Britain's most important Bronze Age finds. It was discovered in 1856 when a burial mound was excavated to make way for the building of Palmeira Avenue. Inside the mound was an oak coffin carved from a single tree trunk. The coffin contained bone fragments, a dagger, a whetstone and an axe head as well as the precious Amber Cup. The grave goods are over 3,500 years old.

Amber has been treasured for thousands of years because of its colour, texture and translucent qualities. The cup is made from amber from northern Europe. Its burial in Hove suggests early trade links between England and the Baltic.

We do not know who was buried in the coffin or why the Amber Cup was placed there. The presence of this unique and valuable object suggests that the Hove burial mound was the grave of an important chief.

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