A fresh analysis of arrowheads at a Bronze Age site in Germany is shedding new light on Europe’s oldest known battle. The bronze and flint arrowheads were discovered in the Tollense Valley in northeast Germany.
Researchers have studied the area since 2007, uncovering hundreds of weapons and thousands of bones. The findings are helping to build a clearer picture of the warriors who fought there 3,250 years ago.
Evidence of Invasion
Previous discoveries of foreign artefacts, such as a Bohemian bronze axe and a sword from southeastern Central Europe, and analyses of remains have suggested that outsiders fought in the Tollense Valley battle. Researchers of the new study were curious to see what clues the arrowheads could yield.
When the team analysed the arrowheads, they realised that no two were identical — understandable before the days of mass production. However, the archaeologists noted key differences in the shapes and features that indicated some arrowheads were not made within Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a state in northeast Germany home to the Tollense Valley.
Inselmann collected literature, data and examples of more than 4,700 Bronze Age arrowheads from Central Europe and mapped out where they originated. Many matched the style of arrowheads from other sites in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, suggesting they were locally made and carried by warriors from the region.
The Spark of War
A causeway that crossed the Tollense River, constructed about 500 years before the battle, is thought to have been the starting point of the conflict. Thomas Terberger, a professor in the department of prehistoric and historical archaeology at the University of Göttingen, has studied the site since 2007.
“The causeway was probably part of an important trade route,” Terberger suggested. “Control of this bottleneck could well have been an important reason for the conflict.” However, the absence of clear evidence in the area of significant sources of wealth, such as metal mines or salt extraction points, makes the trade route theory less likely, shared Barry Molloy, an associate professor in the school of archaeology at University College Dublin.
“The causes of warfare were many, but it is likely in my view that this was about a group seeking to impose political control over another — an age-old scenario — to extract wealth systematically over time, not simply as plunder,” Molloy commented.
The Importance of Archery
The new study highlights the placement of arrow injuries found on remains buried at the site, suggesting shields may have protected warriors from the front while their backs were left exposed.
This research underscores the significance of archery on the battlefield, often underestimated in prior studies of Bronze Age warfare. Molloy stated, “This is a compelling study that uses routine archaeological methods effectively to provide insights into this key prehistoric battle site. The authors convincingly argue there were at least two competing forces from distinct societies, which is crucial for understanding the logistics behind the armies involved at Tollense.”
Researchers catalogued the types of injuries inflicted on the remains to further understand the conflict’s dynamics.
The Scale of Conflict
The large scale of battle prompts researchers to reconsider social organisation and warfare during the Bronze Age. “Were the Bronze Age warriors organised as a tribal coalition, the retinue or mercenaries of a charismatic leader — a kind of ‘warlord’ — or even the army of an early kingdom?” Inselmann pondered.
For a long time, researchers believed that Bronze Age violence was a small-scale affair involving tens of individuals from local communities. Tollense challenges this theory significantly, Molloy elaborated.
“We have many sites where we find evidence of mass killings and even the slaughter of entire communities,” Molloy explained, “but this is the first time where the demographics of the dead strongly suggest they were warriors rather than, for example, entire migrating families.”
Bronze Age societies built fortified settlements and forges to create weapons, but Tollense highlights that these were not merely displays of power. “Tollense demonstrates they were constructed for very real military purposes, including full-scale battles involving armies marching into hostile territories and waging war,” Molloy concluded.
The study of the Tollense Valley site continues to provide valuable insights into Bronze Age warfare.
The discovery of diverse weaponry and injuries illuminates the complex dynamics of these ancient conflicts.
