The specific relationship between weapon-form and mode of use has become a subject of intense research regarding the martial practices of past societies. In recent years the application of wear analysis to bronze offensive weapons has allowed us to define their function on the basis of recognizable damage. This paper aims to present results of use-wear analysis conducted on a unique bronze sword that was found in Domasław, Poland in a cremation cemetery belonging to Lusatian culture. The sword reveals a broad range of traces, ones which may be attributed to respective fighting techniques. Another goal of the present work is to partially fill the research void which presently exists concerning warfare as practiced by the Lusatian culture people, and to point out the necessity of carrying out further studies of this kind.
The significance and cultural role of symbols has been applied many times to the study of past societies. The precise role of unique semiotic languages against more general communication still calls for further consideration. Depictions of animals are undoubtedly the most frequent. In this respect, the culture of ancient Greeks was no exception. This paper aims to present the diversity of animal signs encountered on Greek armament from the Archaic and the Classical periods in an attempt at interpreting them in a military context.
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