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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Carp’s-tongue swords - morphological, metallurgical and cultural aspects

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This contribution discusses the results from a study of the spatial distribution of different morphological sub-groups of carp’s-tongue swords at a European scale, relating morphological types to the metallurgial make-up of the respective pieces. From this study some surprising conclusions concerning the chronological as well as the spatial dimension of the evolution of carp’s-tongue swords emerge. We also look at the degree of variability in the deposition of these artefacts and in the composition of the assemblages in question, with considerable repercussions for our understanding of the depositional contexts of metal objects in the Atlantic Bronze Age world in general.