A preliminary analysis of the metal finds from Békés 103

Summary

Bronze is a central economic and symbolic focus in the European Bronze Age, and the distribution of metals found in Bronze Age burial contexts can suggest differences in wealth. This poster analyzes the bronze artifacts from the site of Békés 103, a Bronze Age site in Eastern Hungary. Previous work at settlements in this area indicates little social inequality and suggests that metal production was not centralized at larger settlements (fortified tell-sites). Study of the distribution of metals and other exotic goods in funerary contexts provides an additional avenue for understanding the circulation of exotic goods. So far, excavation at this cemetery produced mostly pins and arm rings, common body ornamentation of the time. In this paper, we consider the distribution, spatial arrangement, and sex and age of the recipients of these finds. We attempt to understand whether the funerary display of bronze differed in this region compared to neighboring areas, suggesting more equal access to resources.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Studying the Past with Fragments from the Fire: Student Research on an NSF-REU Field School

Keywords

Spatial Coverage