What the heck is a lek?
Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.
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Summary: A fragment (almost half) of a bracelet with an incised concentric grooved decoration, from Blackberry Field, Potterne, a late Bronze / early Iron Age settlement, excavated by Lawson et al, 1983-85.
A fragment of a Bronze Age jet/jet-like armlet found in a late Bronze Age Midden deposit at Blackberry Field, Potterne, excavated by Lawson et al. 1983-85.
The jet/jet-like armlet fragments from Potterne were examined by Brück & Davies (2018): though they did not identify any likely chisel or other tool marks on the armlets, they argue that the consistent patterns of breaking (often into halves and quarters) as well as the relatively fresh nature of the breaks suggests a deliberate act. They also note that of the 88 fragments, a large proportion (44%) have an internal diameter of between 5 and 7cm, and so could only realistically been worn by a young child. It has been previously argued that this site was host to large scale ritual feasting and congregation, and Brück & Davies suggest that the large number of jet armlet fragments and roughouts, as well as other artefacts, may have been imbued with social meaning, and played a part in whatever activity was being performed at the site.
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Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.
The great bustard has a dignified slow walk but tends to run when disturbed, rather than fly.
The hen-bird on display at The Salisbury Museum was one of the last great bustards to be eaten in the town!