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RESEARCH PRODUCT

L’épée, arme et symbole. Le point de vue technique sur les fonctions des épées à poignée métallique de l’âge du Bronze

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The sword, which was invented during Bronze Age, is certainly the ultimate weapon, associated to war and warriors, designed to fight during combats. However, because of its technical complexity, its ostentatious aspect, especially when it is equipped with a bronze hilt, or its strong individualization for example through ornaments, swords can also be considered as symbols. This symbol can be connected to an individual, a social position, a community or to another concept we cannot precisely understand. Of course, material and immaterial aspects do not always exclude each other, and a single object can be used for both. However, a first inspection of these weapons shows that some of them could have been designed for one specific purpose. It thus appears that every swords were not made for fighting. There are several ways to determine if a sword was a purely material weapons or if it had a symbolic function. General aspect, measurements and use-wear analysis can be interesting, for example to show that some swords were not used a single time before they were abandoned. Besides, some swords with a remarkable morphology or decoration, isolated or within more standardized groups, are a clear evidence of the symbolic aspect of some of these weapons, connected to a certain status and wealth. To conclude, the technical approach is also a good way to study the functionality of the solid-hilted swords and thus to get a better understanding of their functions in Bronze Age societies.