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A multidisciplinary overview of current research into the
enduringly fascinating martial artefact which is the sword. The
sword is the most iconic of all weapons. Throughout history, it has
connected various, sometimes conflicting, dimensions of human
culture: physical combat and representation of political power,
definition of gender roles and refinement of body techniques,
evolution of craftsmanship and mythological symbolism. The articles
collected here explore these dimensions, from a variety of
disciplines, among them archaeology, medieval history, museum
conservation, and linguistics. They cover topics from the
production and combat use of Bronze Age swords via medieval fencing
culture to the employment of the sword in modern military. They
question traditional sword typologies and wide-spread theories
about sword making, discuss medieval sword terminology and the use
of swords as royal insignia, and describe the scientific methods
for approaching original finds. Arising from an international
conference held at Deutsches Klingenmuseum Solingen (the German
Blade Museum), the volume provides fresh insights into the forms
the sword can take, and the thoughts it inspires. LISA DEUTSCHER
and MIRJAM E. KAISER work in prehistoric archaeology, specialising
in La Tène and Bronze Age swords, respectively. SIXT WETZLER is
the deputy director of the German Blade Museum; his research
focuses on the history of edged weapons, and their use.
Contributors:Matthias Johannes Bauer, Holger Becker, Jan-Heinrich
Bunnefeld, Rachel J. Crellin, Vincenzo D'Ercole, Andrea Dolfini,
Raphael Hermann, Daniel Jaquet, Robert W. Jones, Ulrich Lehmann,
Claus Lipka, Stefan Maeder, Michael Mattner, Florian Messner,
Nicole Mölk, Ingo Petri, Stefan Roth, Fabrizio Savi, Ulrike
Töchterle, Iason-Eleftherios Tzouriadis, Marion Uckelmann, Henry
Yallop
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. The study of warfare
and violence in prehistoric and pre-literate societies has been at
the forefront of archaeological debate since the publication of
Keeley's provocative monograph 'War Before Civilization' (Oxford
1996). The problem has been approached from a number of standpoints
including anthropological and behavioural studies of interpersonal
violence, osteological examinations of sharp lesions and
blunt-force traumas, wear analysis of ancient weaponry, and field
experiments with replica weapons and armour. This research,
however, is often confined within the boundaries of the various
disciplines and specialist fields. In particular, a gap can often
be detected between the research approaches grounded in the
humanities and social sciences and those based on the
archaeological sciences. The consequence is that, to this day, the
subject is dominated by a number of undemonstrated assumptions
regarding the nature of warfare, combat, and violence in
non-literate societies. Moreover, important methodological
questions remain unanswered: can we securely distinguish between
violence-related and accidental trauma on skeletal remains? To what
extent can wear analysis shed light on long-forgotten fighting
styles? Can we design meaningful combat tests based on historic
martial arts? And can the study of rock-art unlock the social
realities of prehistoric warfare? By breaking the mould of
entrenched subject boundaries, this edited volume promotes
interdisciplinary debate in the study of prehistoric warfare and
violence by presenting a number of innovative approaches that
integrate qualitative and quantitative methods of research and
analysis.
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. The study of warfare
and violence in prehistoric and pre-literate societies has been at
the forefront of archaeological debate since the publication of
Keeley's provocative monograph 'War Before Civilization' (Oxford
1996). The problem has been approached from a number of standpoints
including anthropological and behavioural studies of interpersonal
violence, osteological examinations of sharp lesions and
blunt-force traumas, wear analysis of ancient weaponry, and field
experiments with replica weapons and armour. This research,
however, is often confined within the boundaries of the various
disciplines and specialist fields. In particular, a gap can often
be detected between the research approaches grounded in the
humanities and social sciences and those based on the
archaeological sciences. The consequence is that, to this day, the
subject is dominated by a number of undemonstrated assumptions
regarding the nature of warfare, combat, and violence in
non-literate societies. Moreover, important methodological
questions remain unanswered: can we securely distinguish between
violence-related and accidental trauma on skeletal remains? To what
extent can wear analysis shed light on long-forgotten fighting
styles? Can we design meaningful combat tests based on historic
martial arts? And can the study of rock-art unlock the social
realities of prehistoric warfare? By breaking the mould of
entrenched subject boundaries, this edited volume promotes
interdisciplinary debate in the study of prehistoric warfare and
violence by presenting a number of innovative approaches that
integrate qualitative and quantitative methods of research and
analysis.
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