Open Warfare or the Odd Skirmish? Bell Beaker Violence in the North‐Eastern Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

Summary Archaeological examples of violence in prehistory have increased in recent years. The evidence, methodology employed and interpretation of the data have been diverse, but in each case the myth of the ‘peaceful past’ is questioned. This work provides new data on the issue from the north‐eastern Iberian Peninsula, associated with the Bell Beaker culture (c.2800–2350 cal BC). Material from two megalithic tombs, Can Gol I and Can Gol II (Barcelona Province), in particular a set of flint arrowheads, has been revisited. Use‐wear analysis on the arrowheads confirmed the presence of impact fractures. This indicates that the arrowheads were not funerary offerings, but that they entered the graves lodged in the bodies of the deceased. The data from the only site with evidence of massive death by violence in the neighbouring region (Costa de Can Martorell) reinforce the hypothesis of episodes of conflict and violence during prehistory. However, the interpretation of the nature of such violence remains open to debate: was it an act of warfare or an occasional skirmish? And is the image of the Bell Beaker warrior identified in other European contexts also applicable to this area?

Death in the high mountains: Evidence of interpersonal violence during Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age at Roc de les Orenetes (Eastern Pyrenees, Spain)

“…The pattern of injuries documented in the osteological assemblage, some of them showing features of having been produced by stone sharp edged weapons, and the multimethod analysis of the three arrowheads that underwent functional analysis, allows us to establish a clear use of these arrowheads as projectiles. These weapons, therefore, probably arrived at the site still inside the bodies of the individuals, making it possible to rule out their use as grave goods, as has been proposed by some colleagues for other nearby sites (Gibaja & Palomo, 2003; Palomo, 2002; Soriano et al, 2015). In this case, the analysis revealed a long and intense use life of at least the chert projectiles.…”

“…Bone injuries associated with the impact of lithic projectiles are widely documented in the archeological record from the Paleolithic to the Bronze Age (Alt et al, 2020; Bocquentin & Bar‐Yosef, 2004; Crevecoeur et al, 2021; Erdal, 2012; Etxeberria & Vegas, 1992; Flohr et al, 2015; Guilaine & Zammit, 2005; Márquez et al, 2009; Mirazón‐Lahr et al, 2016; Roksandic et al, 2006; Smith, 2017; Soriano et al, 2015; Vegas et al, 2012). The marks they cause are both chop marks and slice marks, depending on the angle of impact and the bone affected, frequently affecting the ribs and vertebrae when the shots are directed at the torso, and sometimes remaining embedded in bone (Brinker et al, 2016; Guilaine & Zammit, 2005; Mercadal & Agustí, 2006; Meyer et al, 2009; Smith et al, 2007; Vegas et al, 2012).…”

“…We should not think that Europe between the Neolithic and Bronze Age was immersed in a constant atmosphere of violence, but rather, sporadic confrontations were generally on a small or medium scale. Aims of such violence rarely sought to annihilate an opposing group, and the majority involved non‐lethal skirmishes over social, resource‐based, or territorial disputes (Fibiger et al, 2023; Golitko & Keeley, 2007; Larsen, 2006; Schulting & Fibiger, 2012; Schulting & Wysocki, 2005; Smith, 2017; Soriano et al, 2015; Wild et al, 2004).…”

Arrows of Power from Brittany to Denmark (2500–1700 BC)

“…Overall, however, it appears more likely that funerary arrowheads had almost all been deposited as grave goods, as part of a symbolic representation of the deceased. In Bell Beaker contexts across Europe, studies have noted a similar pattern, with evidence for impact being either absent or very rare (van Gijn 2010; Sosna 2012; Soriano et al 2015).…”

Anthropological Archaeology in 2015: Entanglements, Reflection, Reevaluation, and Archaeology beyond Disciplinary Boundaries

“…Conflict and the material evidence of violence are organizing themes for the investigation of landscapes, tombs, and battlefields in Europe and the North Sea for terrestrial and nautical sites (Firth ; Soriano et al. ; Williams ). These researchers reexamine ideas of violence in prehistory that have been taken for granted, question assumptions, and revisit the data with fresh perspectives.…”