Bronze Age weapons can tell us a lot about the methods of warfare that were common practice at the time, deeply permeating society and economy. To this end, European scientists created replica models and commissioned them. The wear on the bronze tips was then analyzed and compared with archaeological data.

There are many debates about the use of weapons in prehistoric times. Increasingly, scientists are resorting to experimentation in their arguments. For example, researchers looking for clues from the Clovis culture have followed this path.

Scientists from Leiden University and the National Weapons Museum in the Netherlands, as well as the University of Göttingen (Germany), decided to investigate Bronze Age spears. They relied on information on the wear and tear of such weapons obtained in experiments with throwing and hitting a stationary target. In the new study, they decided to examine the marks that would have been left during close combat. However, they took long-handled spears, not short-handled ones, which were used more like swords. The results of the experiment were published in Journal of Archaeological Sciences.

Experienced in medieval warfare, researchers ordered two copies of the Bronze Age replicas found in the Netherlands. The tip was made of bronze, its length was 27 centimeters, including the blade – 19 centimeters, and its width was 4.5 centimeters. The composition of the metal corresponded to that used at that time. The 170-centimeter tree was made of European ash. They also made two wooden shields according to the model found in Scotland. The role of the human body was played by the carcass of a European roe deer.

The experiment consisted of two phases: an attack, in which the spear-wielding opponents attempted to break each other’s defenses, and a wound, in which the fallen person was finished off with a spear. The fighters used two styles of attack: encircling, which was more suitable for controlled face-to-face combat, such as in a duel, and attack-oriented, for fighting several opponents.

After each experiment, traces of wear on the spears were recorded. As a result, it was possible to compare several labels with labels found on artifacts kept in the Drenthe Museum. These data will serve in the future for the analysis of fighting techniques in the Bronze Age.

Scientists have found that long-handled spears have a great striking effect and can inflict fatal wounds. This weapon is certainly useful in a combat situation where a warrior is fighting for his life, as well as in hand-to-hand combat where non-lethal wounds are inflicted, such as in ritual combat. Such a technique requires a lot of experience.

The authors of the study noted that, unlike deliberate lethal blows, light attacks do not leave visible marks on the bones. But in some cases, even such marks will go unnoticed. For example, a strong blow to the carcass’s large tibia completely crushed it but did not cut it.

The shaft is the weakest part of the spear, so warriors must have taken measures to strengthen it. In any case, a person could have more than one spear, so caution is needed when counting warriors by the number of spearheads.

According to scientists, spears that have visited various situations bear a range of wear marks. If you take a lot of this type of data, you can find certain patterns, including traces of use in duels or hand-to-hand combat. The marks can tell a lot about the skills and experience of Bronze Age warriors.