This paper provides a discussion of the increasing amount of mobility data from the Early Nordic Bronze Age (Early NBA), c. 1600-1100 BCE with particular focus on NBA II and III (c. 1500-1100 BCE). As a male-oriented study, the intent is to develop current perspectives on gender roles in the Early NBA in relation to mobility. In order to achieve our aim, we conducted strontium isotope analyses and radiocarbon dating combined with an in-depth archaeological investigation of grave goods obtained from two male burials from the Vejle region, SE Jutland. To contextualise the case study results, we also conducted network analyses of male gear from burials and ritual deposits on a regional scale, which reveal differentiated roles among men in the upper social echelon. The warrior emerged as an overall identity for high-ranking males whilst differences in male weaponry interestingly suggest that a minimum of three kinds of warriors were distinguished, reflecting social roles in war and society. The results suggest that one of the individuals was local while the other might have moved. The overall aim is to demonstrate that robust results regarding gendered mobilities will depend on the combination of several methods, datasets and scales of inquiry.
Through a multi-scalar approach using archaeological and statistical methods this paper investigates identity through a comparative study of 270 female gendered burials from Jutland, Funen, Bornholm and Northern Germany. The understanding of the societal structure in the Bronze Age is based on a binary gender system and the variation within these gender categories is emphasised as highly significant for our understanding of gendered social roles in the Early Nordic Bronze Age (NBA). This paper demonstrates that elite women in Early NBA (c.1600–1100 BCE) held high social standing as well as holding multi-facetted social roles, reflecting both status and identity but with a change in status observed from NBA period II to III (c. 1300 BCE onwards). Network investigations of the female graves revealed that one armring in particular was dominant in the material and is seen a key identity marker for Early Nordic Bronze Age women. Further, it is concluded that analyses of object-type combinations can point towards potential dual identities of some of these women.
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