Use-wear analysis and use-patterns of Bronze Age swords

Description

In: Uckelmann M. & Mödlinger M. (eds.) Warfare in Bronze Age Europe: Manufacture and Use of Weaponry. — Oxford: Archaeopress, 2011. — pp. 67-84.The study of bronze weaponry is older than the field of archaeology and modern research has inherited both benefits and problems associated with this chronological breadth of research. Bronze weapons occur in relatively similar forms throughout Europe, making them one of the few categories of artefact to receive similar academic treatment on such a wide scale, and in various academic traditions. This paper addresses terminological and methodological complications that have arisen in no small part due to the natural application of unifying language and functional interpretations that such a broad scale of research history has attracted. It is argued that such innocuous things as generic names for sword types or broad statements on spear use have a more profound impact than may be expected in determining research methodologies and results. Some paths towards creating a methodological consensus, or complementary strands thereof, are suggested and potential impacts of related changes are considered. A final purpose is to suggest methods to create greater synthesis between use-wear, taxonomic, experimental and archaeometric analyses.