Die Bronzehand von Prêles (Kt. Bern / CH) – die älteste anthropomorphe Bronzeplastik Europas?

Abstract

The bronze hand of Prêles was discovered in autumn 2017 by detectorists. Using the radiocarbon method, it can be dated to the Middle Bronze Age of the 15^th or 14^th century BC. So far no comparable finds are known: the hand of Prêles is therefore probably the oldest anthropomorphic bronze sculpture in Europe. A scientific excavation in 2018 revealed that the hand came from a grave of an adult man who was buried at the site of an older, still undated stone construction. For the time being, the function of the hand remains unknown. It is presumed that it was used in connection with representation, in a ritual or cultic context, or as a symbolic prosthesis.