The Hallstatt swords in Scandinavia revisited

Abstract

Many of the swords from Period V–VI (c. 900–500 BCE) found within the Nordic Bronze Age area are so-called Hallstatt swords of bronze, traditionally categorised into two main types – Gündlingen and Mindelheim. 28 Hallstatt swords (30 when including finds of unknown find location) and one winged chape have been recovered from the Nordic area (here including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland). Some of these clearly match foreign, continental types, while others are difficult to classify and have been considered as potential local products. The typological re-assessments presented in this paper have been based on documentation and images. Previous studies have emphasised the difficulty in linking the Nordic sword finds to European typo-chronologies, as they are often found in isolation or in chronologically mixed deposits. This paper revisits the Hallstatt swords in Scandinavia in light of recent research from continental Europe. Refined typo-chronologies provide further insights into the chronology of the swords reaching Scandinavia during Period V–VI of the Nordic Bronze Age. Refined dating of the Mindelheim horizon also provides new insights for some closed finds from the very end of the Nordic Bronze Age. The results cast new light on preferences, use, and deposition of foreign weapons, as well as exchange networks linking Late Bronze Age Scandinavia to the continent.