Versatile artefacts: some remarks concerning a few Early Bronze Age metal blades from the Lower Danube

Abstract

Among the Bronze Age metal objects, a few copper and bronze blades stand apart mainly due to their large size and well defined midribs. Most of them were found in Muntenia, in settlement areas or in graves. They are very similar in aspect and size to the West and Central European halberds. Were they really used as halberds or their functionality was different in the Lower Danube area ? The main objectives of this study were to examine the contexts where these blades appeared and the items they were associated with, as well as to identify similar pieces from other cultural areas, their dating and possible functions

Keywords

• early bronze age
• lower danube
• dagger
• halberd
• vessels with asymmetrical handles
• cist graves