Late Bronze Age Arrowheads from Transdanubia and Beyond: Distribution, Chronology, Bronze Technology, and Use-Wear

Abstract

The study provides a synthesis of Late Bronze Age arrowheads discovered in Transdanubia, western Hungary, supplemented by a selection of arrowheads and a harpoon head from the collection of the Hungarian National Museum, Budapest. This analysis was enabled by the reassessment of curated artefacts preserved in Hungarian museum collections within the framework of the research project The Technology, Use and Manipulation of Weapons from Late Bronze Age Transdanubia. During the Late Bronze Age, a diverse array of bronze arrowheads emerged in the region. These can be assigned to supra-regional types, such as Eckhardt’s variants 1A, 1C, 3A, 4A, 4E, and 5A, along with local subvariants found in the studied region. The analyses, including microscopic examination of use-wear traces, have yielded insights into manufacturing technologies and functional aspects of these objects. The results indicate that most Transdanubian arrowheads were fully finished projectiles at the time of deposition in hoards, graves and settlement features. Some arrowheads exhibit traces of use, suggesting their application in both hunting and warfare. While the latter remains a plausible interpretation, further corroboration is required through comprehensive investigation of local settlements. Typologically, the finds reflect a clear supra-regional character with pronounced Central European affiliations. Based on currently available well-dated archaeological contexts, Transdanubia appears to have played a role predominantly in the later stages of the bronze arrowhead technological development. Apart from sporadic specimens, bronze arrowheads consistently occur from the Ha A1 through the Ha B phases, likely as a result of technological innovation, adaptation, and/or increased militarisation. The discovery of casting moulds for types 4A, 4E (subvariants A and B) and as-cast arrowheads (1A, subvariant A) further supports the idea that production was undertaken locally.