With this monograph on the Late Bronze Age spearheads of Britain, the Prähistorische Bronzefunde (PBF) series adds another volume to its rich corpus of artefact catalogues. Bronze Age research has tended to overlook spearheads as a category of evidence, and it is notable that while 19 PBF volumes are dedicated to swords, only six deal with spearheads. Richard Davis's new contribution brings the latter number to seven and provides a companion for his previous volume on the Early and Middle Bronze Age spearheads from Britain (Davis Reference Davis2012). What this magnificent work demonstrates is that, contrary to some opinion, spearheads are a rich, varied and interesting category of European Bronze Age weaponry.
Davis presents over 1400 Late Bronze Age spearheads from mainland Britain, the Isle of Wight, Anglesey and the Hebrides. The examples are classified into eight types with up to seven variants; moulds for the production of spearheads are also summarised. The classification is based on design attributes that are carefully explained in order to avoid confusion (pp. 12–18), although as Davis classifies these spearheads on the basis of the evidence from the entire Bronze Age, it is also useful to have his earlier monograph to hand (Davis Reference Davis2012). Together, these volumes represent the most comprehensive discussion of British Bronze Age spearheads in over a century. The illustrations, the catalogue and the cross-referencing system within the volume demonstrate the expected high standard achieved in other recent PBF volumes.
It is, of course, hard to critique the PBF series without falling into the trap of stating the obvious; that is, it is largely a typo-chronological endeavour. In recent years, however, some authors have tried to expand the analysis, for example, examining the use of these bronze objects and their entanglement in social relations. Dirk Brandherm (Reference Brandherm2003) has ventured into a discussion of the use of daggers and halberds using historical and anthropological comparisons, and Marion Uckelmann (Reference Uckelmann2012) analyses use-wear on shields. In this regard, Davis's volume falls somewhat short and may feel like a step backwards. Davis frequently mentions the potential uses of spearheads in warfare, or as material symbols for rituals. That discussion, however, is solely based on the typology of the spearheads from which he even tries to infer manoeuvres, such as slashing and cutting for different types of spearhead. This is used to make some sweeping statements about the potential development of weapon technology. It is surprising that Davis did not include published experimental and use-wear evidence (see Anderson Reference Anderson2011, with references) and the same observation can be made of his previous volume. In the catalogue, Davis frequently describes relevant damage, but seemingly only incorporates such observations as a line of evidence for ritual damage (e.g. p. 37, no. 1202). Arguably, some of the notches and blowmarks—even a fractured tip—could have been caused by use in heavy combat. This disregard for the potential of greater use-wear analysis and a more thorough use of the published literature is puzzling.
Davis's discussion of the find spots reveals that Late Bronze Age spearheads come overwhelmingly (72 per cent) from hoards. In this hoard category, however, Davis includes burial sites. This might be assumed to mean votive deposits made at the site of earlier burials, but the precise meaning is unexplained, and readers are therefore left to wonder whether Davis believes that spearheads from burial sites are grave goods or later deposits. Despite their potential for insight into Bronze Age social relations, these finds, and the hoards with which many are associated, are not explored in further detail, and Davis, referring almost exclusively to the British literature, omits discussion of the wider European context and theory of hoarding practices.
In the catalogue, some descriptions mention associated finds, but leave open the contexts of these associations (e.g. no. 177). In other cases, Davis mentions finds as possibly associated, and, although these objects might be contemporary, simultaneous deposition can most probably be ruled out. For example, the entry for spearhead no. 794 notes the “possible association” with a palstave, even though the latter was discovered some 300m away, effectively excluding any direct connection.
In light of the invaluable service of the PBF series in making available an extraordinary inventory of bronze metalwork for researchers, all of the above criticism is of minor significance. Davis's volume, conjoined with his previous contribution, fills an important gap in the study of Bronze Age weaponry. These books highlight spearheads as a major—maybe even the most important—type of weapon in terms of abundance during the British Bronze Age, and will promote the re-evaluation of the role that spearheads played during the wider European Bronze Age. As Davis himself emphasises, there are many aspects of this material still to be studied; a more detailed inventory of contexts and associations would be very helpful in that regard. Nonetheless, with this volume, Davis has already achieved a great deal and it will no doubt serve to stimulate further research.
