Book contents
- Warfare in Bronze Age Society
- Warfare in Bronze Age Society
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- Chapter One Introducing Bronze Age Warfare
- Chapter Two Bronze Age Encounters: Violent or Peaceful?
- Chapter Three Warfare and the Political Economy: Europe 1500–1100 bc
- Chapter Four Warfare vs. Exchange? Thoughts on an Integrative Approach
- Chapter Five Maritime Warfare in Scandinavian Rock Art
- Chapter Six Bronze Weaponry and Cultural Mobility in Late Bronze Age Southeast Europe
- Chapter Seven The Emergence of Specialized Combat Weapons in the Levantine Bronze Age
- Chapter Eight Beyond the Grave: Crafting Identities in the Middle Bronze Age Southern Trans Urals
- Chapter Nine Carp’s-Tongue Swords and Their Use: Functional, Technological and Morphological Aspects
- Chapter Ten Warfare or Sacrifice? Archaeological Research on the Bronze Age Site in the Tollense Valley, Northeast Germany
- Chapter Eleven Violence and Ritual in Late Bronze Age Britain: Weapon Depositions and Their Interpretation
- Chapter Twelve ‘Warrior Graves’ vs. Warrior Graves in the Bronze Age Aegean
- Chapter Thirteen The Chief and His Sword? Some Thoughts on the Swordbearer’s Rank in the Early Nordic Bronze Age
- Chapter Fourteen Becoming the Warrior: Constructed Identity or Functional Identity?
- Chapter Fifteen Body Aesthetics, Fraternity and Warfare in the Long European Bronze Age: Postscriptum
- Index
- References
Chapter Ten - Warfare or Sacrifice? Archaeological Research on the Bronze Age Site in the Tollense Valley, Northeast Germany
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 April 2018
Book contents
- Warfare in Bronze Age Society
- Warfare in Bronze Age Society
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- Chapter One Introducing Bronze Age Warfare
- Chapter Two Bronze Age Encounters: Violent or Peaceful?
- Chapter Three Warfare and the Political Economy: Europe 1500–1100 bc
- Chapter Four Warfare vs. Exchange? Thoughts on an Integrative Approach
- Chapter Five Maritime Warfare in Scandinavian Rock Art
- Chapter Six Bronze Weaponry and Cultural Mobility in Late Bronze Age Southeast Europe
- Chapter Seven The Emergence of Specialized Combat Weapons in the Levantine Bronze Age
- Chapter Eight Beyond the Grave: Crafting Identities in the Middle Bronze Age Southern Trans Urals
- Chapter Nine Carp’s-Tongue Swords and Their Use: Functional, Technological and Morphological Aspects
- Chapter Ten Warfare or Sacrifice? Archaeological Research on the Bronze Age Site in the Tollense Valley, Northeast Germany
- Chapter Eleven Violence and Ritual in Late Bronze Age Britain: Weapon Depositions and Their Interpretation
- Chapter Twelve ‘Warrior Graves’ vs. Warrior Graves in the Bronze Age Aegean
- Chapter Thirteen The Chief and His Sword? Some Thoughts on the Swordbearer’s Rank in the Early Nordic Bronze Age
- Chapter Fourteen Becoming the Warrior: Constructed Identity or Functional Identity?
- Chapter Fifteen Body Aesthetics, Fraternity and Warfare in the Long European Bronze Age: Postscriptum
- Index
- References
Summary
Find material from several archaeological sites over a stretch of 2.5 km along the valley of the River Tollense in northeast Germany, dating to about 1.250 BC, seem to indicate violent Bronze Age conflict on a so far unexpected scale. Skeletal remains of at least 110 mostly male individuals, partly with perimortal as well as healed lesions, have been excavated together with horse remains in the valley. Finds of two wooden clubs, numerous bronze and flint arrowheads as well as bone spearheads indicate the use of mostly simple but effective weapons. This is in some contrast to finds from mounds where bronze weapons such as swords and spearheads testify to prestigious burials.
Recent findings indicate a Bronze Age wooden construction in the river valley, possibly a bridge, close to the beginning of the find concentration.
Among the find material from the Tollense valley there are also various bronze objects dating to Period III, for instance two small tin ingots and gold spiral rings. They offer the possibility to discuss the relevance of these sites in the Tollense valley in view of the role of violent conflicts and of possible ritual acts connected to these events.
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- Warfare in Bronze Age Society , pp. 153 - 167Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2018
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