Bronze Age Combat

Book excerpt: The Newcastle-led Bronze Age Combat project presents its results from innovative combat experiments with replica Bronze Age swords, spears and shields. Using original experimental methodologies consisting of rigorous field experiments broken into individual actions and actualistic combat based on historical combat manuscripts, authentic replica weapons were used to replicate combat-related wear marks as found on original Bronze Age specimens. 'Bronze Age Combat' provides a full account of the methodologies, replicas, experiments and results in unprecedented detail. By bringing together a range of experimental techniques, materials and expertise, this book is designed as a starting point and reference collection for further studies into Bronze Age combat research.