Abstract/Summary

This article traces the deliberate deposition of artefacts, human remains and animal bones from the Mesolithic period to the twentieth century ad. Rather than presenting a straightforward narrative, their treatment is thematic and extends backwards in time from the most recent examples, about which a little is known, to the earliest, which remain enigmatic. The article also extends to single finds, grave goods and river metalwork. While the histories of these phenomena were continuous and unbroken, their significance often changed. The lecture considers nine specific examples and the very different ways in which they have been interpreted.