Exploring Prehistoric Fighting Arts

Hello fellow fighters and (pre-)history aficionados,

This newsletter is all about Bronze Age weaponry — their design, handling, and function. As this email goes out, I am on my journey home from two days of filming at the Museum of Prehistory in Halle, home to the world-famous Nebra sky disc.

At the invitation of Professor Harald Meller, I contributed to the museum’s popular and award-winning video library and YouTube channel, sharing my insights into the ergonomics of Bronze Age swords and the principles of historical fighting with shields.

Living-history expert Jonas Radtke joined me, providing an impressive array of replica weapons. Jonas, who is also a highly skilled photographer, took additional footage during filming, which we will share with you soon. If you are curious, feel free to browse Jonas’ website — it features outstanding photography from his Past Identities series and from a recent bestseller on Germanic tribes.

To give one of his shields a more striking appearance, I painted it using natural pigments bound with egg yolk. The decoration is based on contemporary motifs found on Bronze Age swords and jewellery.

The shield shape follows surviving bronze sheet shields of the Nipperwiese type, characterised by concentric ridges standing proud of the surface — much like the iron fittings on certain late-medieval bucklers. Bronze shields varied considerably in size: some were as small as bucklers, while others — such as the Herzsprung type — measured over 70 cm across. The one shown in the photo is of medium size. Bronze nails on wooden shield boards are confirmed by finds from three graves.

If Bronze Age shields interest you, I wholeheartedly recommend Marion Uckelmann’s outstanding publication on the subject. It is an essential resource even if German is not your strong suit, as the book includes photographs of all c. 100 surviving shields, along with all relevant measurements and weights.

One of the swords featured in the museum filming is a perfectly preserved late Bronze Age example of a distinctive shape akin to the Möringen type. I demonstrate its handling qualities in this video recorded at the museum in January. It premiered on my Patreon. Special thanks to all my supporters — your backing genuinely makes a difference.

Another bronze weapon in the museum’s collection that I documented is a wonderful antenna sword. You can now purchase a 300 dpi scan of my full-size illustration, complete with detailed stats, via my sword shop on Patreon — or buy directly here:

$12.50 Full-Size Illustration + Stats of a Bronze Antenna Sword Download 300 dpi file for your enjoyment, research, and study. You’re welcome to use the material for the reconstruction... Read more Get it now!

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So, that's it for today. ⚔️ Bronze swords up!

Roland

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