The Newcastle-led Bronze Age Combat project presents its results from innovative combat experimen... more The Newcastle-led Bronze Age Combat project presents its results from innovative combat experiments with replica Bronze Age swords, spears and shields. The original experimental methodologies used authentic replica weapons in extensive rigorous field experiments, and actualistic combat based on historical manuscripts. These allowed for replicate combat-related wear marks as found on original Bronze Age specimens. Bronze Age Combat provides a full account of the methodologies, replicas, experiments and results in unprecedented detail. By bringing together a range of experimental techniques, materials and expertise, this book is designed as a starting point and reference collection for further studies into Bronze Age combat research, metalwork wear analysis and experimental archaeology.
This is the first book to explore prehistoric warfare and violence by integrating qualitative res... more This is the first book to explore prehistoric warfare and violence by integrating qualitative research methods with quantitative, scientific techniques of analysis such as paleopathology, morphometry, wear analysis, and experimental archaeology. It investigates early warfare and violence from the standpoint of four broad interdisciplinary themes: skeletal markers of violence and weapon training; conflict in prehistoric rock-art; the material culture of conflict; and intergroup violence in archaeological discourse. The book has a wide-ranging chronological and geographic scope, from early Neolithic to late Iron Age and from Western Europe to East Asia. It includes world-renowned sites and artefact collections such as the Tollense Valley Bronze Age battlefield (Germany), the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Tanum (Sweden), and the British Museum collection of bronze weaponry from the late Shang period (China). Original case studies are presented in each section by a diverse international authorship.
Must Farm pile-dwelling settlement: Volume 2. Specialist reports. , 2024
Metalwork finds from the pile-dwelling site of Must Farm
https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.107109
... more Metalwork finds from the pile-dwelling site of Must Farm
https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.107109
Newcastle University researchers are bringing the past to life with an experiment to find out how... more Newcastle University researchers are bringing the past to life with an experiment to find out how people fought in the Late Bronze Age (c.1200-800 BC). The project investigates ancient combat techniques by examining the wear marks found on archaeological swords, spears and axes from museum collections, and trying to replicate these marks in a series of controlled field tests with replicas of the same weapons. The aim of the project is to understand how Late Bronze Age weapons were used, in what kind of combat situations, and with what weapon strikes and body motions. The team want to test in particular whether it is possible to link distinctive combat marks with specific uses of the weapons including strikes, parries, stabs and throws.
This article deals with the two bronze shields from Herzsprung, Ldkr. Ostprignitz-Ruppin (Branden... more This article deals with the two bronze shields from Herzsprung, Ldkr. Ostprignitz-Ruppin (Brandenburg) which were discovered in 1844. A brief introduction on Bronze Age shields and a history of publications on the two shields is given. Detailed descriptions of the features and marks of manufacture, which are revealing details of the process of their making, illustrate the way from the bronze cake being driven out to the ornamentation with its rows of bosses and ribs formed by punches. The most remarkable ornament is the so-called U-notch, a part of two ribs shaped as the letter U. Lines and calliper points show the advance planning of the decor. Subsequent to this, all 22 bronze shields of the Herzsprung type, defined by their way of manufacturing and ornamentation, are being discussed. The distribution area is southern Scandinavia and they are very probably local products of the Nordic Bronze Age, dating into Period V. All of them were found in moors or dried up lakes and were prob...
The article presents a new picture of sword fighting in Middle and Late Bronze Age Europe develop... more The article presents a new picture of sword fighting in Middle and Late Bronze Age Europe developed through the Bronze Age Combat Project. The project investigated the uses of Bronze Age swords, shields, and spears by combining integrated experimental archaeology and metalwork wear analysis. The research is grounded in an explicit and replicable methodology providing a blueprint for future experimentation with, and wear analysis of, prehistoric copper-alloy weapons. We present a four-step experimental methodology including both controlled and actualistic experiments. The experimental results informed the wear analysis of 110 Middle and Late Bronze Age swords from Britain and Italy. The research has generated new understandings of prehistoric combat, including diagnostic and undiagnostic combat marks and how to interpret them; how to hold and use a Bronze Age sword; the degree of skill and training required for proficient combat; the realities of Bronze Age swordplay including the frequency of blade-on-blade contact; the body parts and areas targeted by prehistoric sword fencers; and the evolution of fighting styles in Britain and Italy from the late 2nd to the early 1st millennia BC. All primary data discussed in the article are available as supplementary material (Appendix) so as to allow scrutiny and validation of the research results. Keywords European Bronze Age. Experimental archaeology. Metalwork wear analysis. Warfare and violence. Combat archaeology Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory https://doi.
Archaeological and anthropological research into prehistoric warfare and violence was long framed... more Archaeological and anthropological research into prehistoric warfare and violence was long framed by two competing meta-narratives harking back to the work of political philosophers Hobbes and Rousseau. Whereas for some researchers violence is a key part of what makes us human, for others, it emerges as a result of specific types of socio-political relationships. This contribution explores the ways in which these competing narratives, as well as Europe’s history of 20th century warfare, have influenced the way in which we have approached the subject. The paper argues that a turning point came in the wake of Keeley’s War before Civilization (1996), which has led to the creation of a vibrant field of specialist research on prehistoric warfare and violence. The authors argue that this field of study can be further advanced through interdisciplinary enquiries bringing together state-of-the-art scientific methods of analysis and contemporary theoretical reflections developed in the humanities and social sciences.
South Cadbury: the last of the bronze shields?
Previous publications on the bronze shield of Yet... more South Cadbury: the last of the bronze shields?
Previous publications on the bronze shield of Yetholm type excavated in 1997 at Milsom’s Corner in South Cadbury
(Somerset) have not considered the significance of its metal composition and stratigraphic context for the origins and
the distribution of bronze shields. Unpublished analyses for several British shields are presented and their metallographic
properties are discussed in relation to the ongoing debate about the utility of sheet-metal shields. Composition pat terns
confirm that bronze shields were largely a feature of the British Penard phase (c.1300-1125 BC), while available radiocarbon
dates, some new, for both metal and organic versions show this to be as early as anywhere in Europe. Paradoxically,
the South Cadbury shield, although of Penard manufacture, was probably ritually killed and deposited later, at a
time when such parade armour was falling out of use. This may explain its hitherto unique dry land context.
With the end of the Middle Bronze Age and the
beginning of the Late Bronze Age shields made
of a ... more With the end of the Middle Bronze Age and the beginning of the Late Bronze Age shields made of a single piece of bronze sheet come into use. All over Europe about 86 of these metal shields are recorded, as well as two wooden and one lea- ther shields and two wooden shield formers from Irish bogs. The main focus of distribution is in the British Isles, followed by a larger group in southern Scandinavia and more scattered finds from Germany, Poland, Czech Republic and the Carpathian basin. This paper will take a closer look at the possible function of the shields based on their technological characteristics, for ex- ample metal thickness, weight, strengthened rim and riveted on parts. New research on these fea- tures, together with metallographic and material analyses will be considered and compared with the visible signs of use wear on the shields, in or- der to evaluate a possible function as protective armour in combat. Old and newer experiments on the use of shields will be taken into account as well.
The Newcastle-led Bronze Age Combat project presents its results from innovative combat experimen... more The Newcastle-led Bronze Age Combat project presents its results from innovative combat experiments with replica Bronze Age swords, spears and shields. The original experimental methodologies used authentic replica weapons in extensive rigorous field experiments, and actualistic combat based on historical manuscripts. These allowed for replicate combat-related wear marks as found on original Bronze Age specimens. Bronze Age Combat provides a full account of the methodologies, replicas, experiments and results in unprecedented detail. By bringing together a range of experimental techniques, materials and expertise, this book is designed as a starting point and reference collection for further studies into Bronze Age combat research, metalwork wear analysis and experimental archaeology.
This is the first book to explore prehistoric warfare and violence by integrating qualitative res... more This is the first book to explore prehistoric warfare and violence by integrating qualitative research methods with quantitative, scientific techniques of analysis such as paleopathology, morphometry, wear analysis, and experimental archaeology. It investigates early warfare and violence from the standpoint of four broad interdisciplinary themes: skeletal markers of violence and weapon training; conflict in prehistoric rock-art; the material culture of conflict; and intergroup violence in archaeological discourse. The book has a wide-ranging chronological and geographic scope, from early Neolithic to late Iron Age and from Western Europe to East Asia. It includes world-renowned sites and artefact collections such as the Tollense Valley Bronze Age battlefield (Germany), the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Tanum (Sweden), and the British Museum collection of bronze weaponry from the late Shang period (China). Original case studies are presented in each section by a diverse international authorship.
Must Farm pile-dwelling settlement: Volume 2. Specialist reports. , 2024
Metalwork finds from the pile-dwelling site of Must Farm
https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.107109
... more Metalwork finds from the pile-dwelling site of Must Farm
https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.107109
Newcastle University researchers are bringing the past to life with an experiment to find out how... more Newcastle University researchers are bringing the past to life with an experiment to find out how people fought in the Late Bronze Age (c.1200-800 BC). The project investigates ancient combat techniques by examining the wear marks found on archaeological swords, spears and axes from museum collections, and trying to replicate these marks in a series of controlled field tests with replicas of the same weapons. The aim of the project is to understand how Late Bronze Age weapons were used, in what kind of combat situations, and with what weapon strikes and body motions. The team want to test in particular whether it is possible to link distinctive combat marks with specific uses of the weapons including strikes, parries, stabs and throws.
This article deals with the two bronze shields from Herzsprung, Ldkr. Ostprignitz-Ruppin (Branden... more This article deals with the two bronze shields from Herzsprung, Ldkr. Ostprignitz-Ruppin (Brandenburg) which were discovered in 1844. A brief introduction on Bronze Age shields and a history of publications on the two shields is given. Detailed descriptions of the features and marks of manufacture, which are revealing details of the process of their making, illustrate the way from the bronze cake being driven out to the ornamentation with its rows of bosses and ribs formed by punches. The most remarkable ornament is the so-called U-notch, a part of two ribs shaped as the letter U. Lines and calliper points show the advance planning of the decor. Subsequent to this, all 22 bronze shields of the Herzsprung type, defined by their way of manufacturing and ornamentation, are being discussed. The distribution area is southern Scandinavia and they are very probably local products of the Nordic Bronze Age, dating into Period V. All of them were found in moors or dried up lakes and were prob...
The article presents a new picture of sword fighting in Middle and Late Bronze Age Europe develop... more The article presents a new picture of sword fighting in Middle and Late Bronze Age Europe developed through the Bronze Age Combat Project. The project investigated the uses of Bronze Age swords, shields, and spears by combining integrated experimental archaeology and metalwork wear analysis. The research is grounded in an explicit and replicable methodology providing a blueprint for future experimentation with, and wear analysis of, prehistoric copper-alloy weapons. We present a four-step experimental methodology including both controlled and actualistic experiments. The experimental results informed the wear analysis of 110 Middle and Late Bronze Age swords from Britain and Italy. The research has generated new understandings of prehistoric combat, including diagnostic and undiagnostic combat marks and how to interpret them; how to hold and use a Bronze Age sword; the degree of skill and training required for proficient combat; the realities of Bronze Age swordplay including the frequency of blade-on-blade contact; the body parts and areas targeted by prehistoric sword fencers; and the evolution of fighting styles in Britain and Italy from the late 2nd to the early 1st millennia BC. All primary data discussed in the article are available as supplementary material (Appendix) so as to allow scrutiny and validation of the research results. Keywords European Bronze Age. Experimental archaeology. Metalwork wear analysis. Warfare and violence. Combat archaeology Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory https://doi.
Archaeological and anthropological research into prehistoric warfare and violence was long framed... more Archaeological and anthropological research into prehistoric warfare and violence was long framed by two competing meta-narratives harking back to the work of political philosophers Hobbes and Rousseau. Whereas for some researchers violence is a key part of what makes us human, for others, it emerges as a result of specific types of socio-political relationships. This contribution explores the ways in which these competing narratives, as well as Europe’s history of 20th century warfare, have influenced the way in which we have approached the subject. The paper argues that a turning point came in the wake of Keeley’s War before Civilization (1996), which has led to the creation of a vibrant field of specialist research on prehistoric warfare and violence. The authors argue that this field of study can be further advanced through interdisciplinary enquiries bringing together state-of-the-art scientific methods of analysis and contemporary theoretical reflections developed in the humanities and social sciences.
South Cadbury: the last of the bronze shields?
Previous publications on the bronze shield of Yet... more South Cadbury: the last of the bronze shields?
Previous publications on the bronze shield of Yetholm type excavated in 1997 at Milsom’s Corner in South Cadbury
(Somerset) have not considered the significance of its metal composition and stratigraphic context for the origins and
the distribution of bronze shields. Unpublished analyses for several British shields are presented and their metallographic
properties are discussed in relation to the ongoing debate about the utility of sheet-metal shields. Composition pat terns
confirm that bronze shields were largely a feature of the British Penard phase (c.1300-1125 BC), while available radiocarbon
dates, some new, for both metal and organic versions show this to be as early as anywhere in Europe. Paradoxically,
the South Cadbury shield, although of Penard manufacture, was probably ritually killed and deposited later, at a
time when such parade armour was falling out of use. This may explain its hitherto unique dry land context.
With the end of the Middle Bronze Age and the
beginning of the Late Bronze Age shields made
of a ... more With the end of the Middle Bronze Age and the beginning of the Late Bronze Age shields made of a single piece of bronze sheet come into use. All over Europe about 86 of these metal shields are recorded, as well as two wooden and one lea- ther shields and two wooden shield formers from Irish bogs. The main focus of distribution is in the British Isles, followed by a larger group in southern Scandinavia and more scattered finds from Germany, Poland, Czech Republic and the Carpathian basin. This paper will take a closer look at the possible function of the shields based on their technological characteristics, for ex- ample metal thickness, weight, strengthened rim and riveted on parts. New research on these fea- tures, together with metallographic and material analyses will be considered and compared with the visible signs of use wear on the shields, in or- der to evaluate a possible function as protective armour in combat. Old and newer experiments on the use of shields will be taken into account as well.
Ornamentation of Late Bronze Age shields
Is it possible to assign a special function to the shiel... more Ornamentation of Late Bronze Age shields Is it possible to assign a special function to the shields of the Late Bronze Age through a closer look at their ornamentation? These shields are made of thin sheet bronze and are adorned with rows of ribs or a combination of ribs and bosses. Compared with some of the sun symbols on Scandinavian rock art, it is a possible interpretation to see in the once gleaming shields such symbols of the sun as well. After failing to find a mathematical system in the ornamentation with bosses it seems not very likely that those shields were used as calendars. Just four show figurative designs with birds, bird sun boats and snakes, made out of meandering ribs. All comparable ornaments appear otherwise mostly in a ritual context, and only for these shields a function in a religious surrounding can be stated through their decoration.
The next Bronze Age Forum will be held at Durham University in November 2019.
The Call for papers... more The next Bronze Age Forum will be held at Durham University in November 2019. The Call for papers and posters is now open! webpage: https://baf2019durham.wordpress.com/
Uploads
https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.107109
App. links under
https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.107062
https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.107063
https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.107064
Previous publications on the bronze shield of Yetholm type excavated in 1997 at Milsom’s Corner in South Cadbury
(Somerset) have not considered the significance of its metal composition and stratigraphic context for the origins and
the distribution of bronze shields. Unpublished analyses for several British shields are presented and their metallographic
properties are discussed in relation to the ongoing debate about the utility of sheet-metal shields. Composition pat terns
confirm that bronze shields were largely a feature of the British Penard phase (c.1300-1125 BC), while available radiocarbon
dates, some new, for both metal and organic versions show this to be as early as anywhere in Europe. Paradoxically,
the South Cadbury shield, although of Penard manufacture, was probably ritually killed and deposited later, at a
time when such parade armour was falling out of use. This may explain its hitherto unique dry land context.
beginning of the Late Bronze Age shields made
of a single piece of bronze sheet come into use.
All over Europe about 86 of these metal shields
are recorded, as well as two wooden and one lea-
ther shields and two wooden shield formers from
Irish bogs. The main focus of distribution is in
the British Isles, followed by a larger group in
southern Scandinavia and more scattered finds
from Germany, Poland, Czech Republic and the
Carpathian basin. This paper will take a closer
look at the possible function of the shields based
on their technological characteristics, for ex-
ample metal thickness, weight, strengthened rim
and riveted on parts. New research on these fea-
tures, together with metallographic and material
analyses will be considered and compared with
the visible signs of use wear on the shields, in or-
der to evaluate a possible function as protective
armour in combat. Old and newer experiments
on the use of shields will be taken into account
as well.
https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.107109
App. links under
https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.107062
https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.107063
https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.107064
Previous publications on the bronze shield of Yetholm type excavated in 1997 at Milsom’s Corner in South Cadbury
(Somerset) have not considered the significance of its metal composition and stratigraphic context for the origins and
the distribution of bronze shields. Unpublished analyses for several British shields are presented and their metallographic
properties are discussed in relation to the ongoing debate about the utility of sheet-metal shields. Composition pat terns
confirm that bronze shields were largely a feature of the British Penard phase (c.1300-1125 BC), while available radiocarbon
dates, some new, for both metal and organic versions show this to be as early as anywhere in Europe. Paradoxically,
the South Cadbury shield, although of Penard manufacture, was probably ritually killed and deposited later, at a
time when such parade armour was falling out of use. This may explain its hitherto unique dry land context.
beginning of the Late Bronze Age shields made
of a single piece of bronze sheet come into use.
All over Europe about 86 of these metal shields
are recorded, as well as two wooden and one lea-
ther shields and two wooden shield formers from
Irish bogs. The main focus of distribution is in
the British Isles, followed by a larger group in
southern Scandinavia and more scattered finds
from Germany, Poland, Czech Republic and the
Carpathian basin. This paper will take a closer
look at the possible function of the shields based
on their technological characteristics, for ex-
ample metal thickness, weight, strengthened rim
and riveted on parts. New research on these fea-
tures, together with metallographic and material
analyses will be considered and compared with
the visible signs of use wear on the shields, in or-
der to evaluate a possible function as protective
armour in combat. Old and newer experiments
on the use of shields will be taken into account
as well.
Is it possible to assign a special function to the shields of the
Late Bronze Age through a closer look at their ornamentation?
These shields are made of thin sheet bronze and are
adorned with rows of ribs or a combination of ribs and bosses.
Compared with some of the sun symbols on Scandinavian
rock art, it is a possible interpretation to see in the once gleaming
shields such symbols of the sun as well. After failing to
find a mathematical system in the ornamentation with bosses
it seems not very likely that those shields were used as calendars.
Just four show figurative designs with birds, bird sun
boats and snakes, made out of meandering ribs. All comparable
ornaments appear otherwise mostly in a ritual context,
and only for these shields a function in a religious surrounding
can be stated through their decoration.
The Call for papers and posters is now open!
webpage:
https://baf2019durham.wordpress.com/