"Early Bronze Age battle site found on German river bank"

BBC ^ | 22 May 11 02:38 ET | Neil Bowdler

[Covenantor]

Early Bronze Age battle site found on German river bank

22 May 11 02:38 ET

? By Neil Bowdler Science reporter, BBC News

Fractured human remains found on a German river bank could provide the first compelling evidence of a major Bronze Age battle. Archaeological excavations of the Tollense Valley in northern Germany unearthed fractured skulls, wooden clubs and horse remains dating from around 1200 BC. The injuries to the skulls suggest face-to-face combat in a battle perhaps fought between warring tribes, say the researchers. The paper, published in the journal Antiquity, is based primarily on an investigation begun in 2008 of the Tollense Valley site, which involved both ground excavations and surveys of the riverbed by divers. They found remains of around 100 human bodies, of which eight had lesions to their bones. Most of the bodies, but not all, appeared to be young men. The injuries included skull damage caused by massive blows or arrowheads, and some of the injuries appear to have been fatal. One humerus (upper arm) bone contained an arrow head embedded more than 22mm into the bone, while a thigh bone fracture suggests a fall from a horse (horse bones were also found at the site). The archaeologists also found remains of two wooden clubs, one the shape of a baseball bat and made of ash, the second the shape of a croquet mallet and made of sloe wood.

[Covenantor]

Baseball bats and croquet mallets, the first Euro-Cup?

[Covenantor]

For your ping list perhaps?

[Covenantor]

FYI

[Bean Counter]

Interesting stuff. Ancient Germany was one place even the Romans never conquered, even though they did try. The Black Forest was someplace you simply never came out of, which is why the Romans usually didn’t go there; kind of for the same reason the Romans did not regularly venture North of Hadrian’s Wall in Britain...

A couple of years ago someone unearthed the remains of a large Roman attempted retreat out of Germany where the entire Roman column had eventually been slaughtered over a miles long march. Smithsonian magazine had an excellent article, and I may try and did it out of the bookcase later to refresh my memory.....

[jdege]

What was going on, in Europe, c. 1200 BC?

Massive population migrations, the collapse of the Hittite Empire, Egypt’s invasion by the “Sea Peoples”, etc. If there was a period where you’d expect large-scale war in Germany, this would be it.

[Repeal The 17th]

Not much of a picture, but this is the bat and the mallet:

[Repeal The 17th]

The weapons used were apparently arrows and wooden clubs, so how is it they call this a “Bronze Age” battle site?

[blueunicorn6]

If they find any jet skis and beer bottles, then it was probably my ancestors holding a family reunion.

[sayuncledave]

“The injuries included skull damage caused by massive blows or arrowheads, and some of the injuries appear to have been fatal.”

This struck me as odd. By definition, those remains found on the battlefield are of people whose wounds were ultimately fatal.

[Cacique]

Btt

[cweese]

"The weapons used were apparently arrows and wooden clubs, so how is it they call this a “Bronze Age” battle site?"

Because the Bronze Age in Europe spanned (approx.) the years 3000-600 BC.

[Repeal The 17th]

I suppose that the battlers of the time would make use of whatever weaponry and equipment that was available to them including a mix of older (wooden) and newer (bronze) weapons.

The victors and anyone else who came upon the site would likely have scavenged anything of value from the dead and leave the old or broken weapons behind at the scene.

[CurlyDave]

The weapons used were apparently arrows and wooden clubs, so how is it they call this a “Bronze Age” battle site?

1. "Bronze Age" is a dating method.

2. Bronze weapons may have been valuable enough that they were not left behind by the victors. Looting the bodies of dead enemies is a longstanding tradition of war.

3. Bronze Age just means that bronze was smelted and used for some tools/weapons. Not that it was common or inexpensive.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

“The weapons used were apparently arrows and wooden clubs, so how is it they call this a “Bronze Age” battle site?”

Simple. The winners simply picked up all the bronze spears. Bronze was valuble.

The spears were probably made in Brittany. Wouldn’t you pick up a Brittany Spears?

[Repeal The 17th]

I had a friend who got a degree in ancient Egyptian plumbing...
...she was a Pharaoh’s Faucet Major.

[squarebarb]

Bookmark

[ckilmer]

That was the battle of Tutenburg Forest about 4 AD. That revolt kept the Romans out of Germany.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Teutoburg_Forest

Queen Boedicia’s failed revolt in England against Rome in 60 AD resulted in the annexation of England
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boudica

The Jewish revolt revolt against rome in 70 AD also failed with pretty disastrous consequences.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Jewish%E2%80%93Roman_War

(Jesus prophesied/alluded to this event in the New Testament.)

[FW190]

"A couple of years ago someone unearthed the remains of a large Roman attempted retreat out of Germany where the entire Roman column had eventually been slaughtered over a miles long march."

Perhaps you're refering to "Battle of the Teutoburg Forest."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Teutoburg_Forest

Germanic warriors storm the field

Teutoburg Forest

Germanic tribes led by Arminius

[Reily]

Was that Teutonbarger Wald site?

[crazydad]

I have been to the Tuetenburgwald and seen the Statue of Arminius. It is an amazing thing to climb to the top and look at the forest for miles around. A cold and gloomy place where many Roman soldiers lost their lives. And like so many heroes Arminius was betrayed by his own people. Great Story that would make one hell of a movie.