Beaker culture had been introduced to Britain from mainland Europe during the final stages of the Neolithic. It involved radically different beliefs and material culture from those already long established in Britain and Ireland, and for some generations Beaker culture co-existed as a minor element of society. By 2200 BC, however, the distinctions had been broken down by social interaction and a new form of Beaker culture developed from the mix.

Some contact was maintained with related communities across the Channel and the North Sea in mainland Europe, but most aspects of the new culture were specific to Britain. A new range of Beaker styles emerged, mainly without close parallels in mainland Europe. New axe and dagger types were developed which differed from their European counterparts in both style and metallurgy. British objects were made of alloyed bronze rather than copper, which was the most widely used metal in mainland Europe. Even object types recently introduced from abroad – flint daggers and stone battle-axes – were almost immediately transformed into local types.

The practice of burying bodies in a crouched position accompanied by a Beaker pot and sometimes other grave goods, continued for 300-400 years. Even so, during this period new burial practices came into competition with the ‘Beaker burial’ and eventually it was eclipsed.