Hoards, Fragmentation and Exchange in the European Bronze Age

Abstract

For a long time the state of Bronze Age deposits in Europe was considered to indicate a pattern of concealment: intact objects were seen as dedications, whereas fragmented bronzes were taken to be hidden raw metals. This article discusses a number of cases of depositions of fragmented objects from the British Isles to show that this dualism and differentiation between the social and practical value of things is highly problematic and should not be automatically assumed of Bronze Age societies. As it turns out, intentional fragmentation can provide clues to the biography of the objects and their owners, the nature of their circulation, the site of their deposition, and the chain of events before their deposition.

Published In