Warriorhood at the end of the Neolithic in Central Europe. Comparative analysis of warrior traditions in the chosen regional groups of the Corded Ware Culture

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to examine the variety of customs associated with celebration and commemoration of warrior virtues among chosen Corded Ware culture communities from western and eastern parts of its ecumene. It also summarizes recent theoretical background of warriorhood and compares assemblages from warrior graves with traces of skeletal traumata, in order to at least partially reconstruct actual methods of fighting. The level of actuality of warrior identity is reflected by the quantity of warrior burials. The need for emphasizing power and military prowess through funerary rituals and material culture might represent a response for internal social conflicts, as well as external threats. The lack of uniformity in rituals associated with warriorhood demonstrates that it was a dynamic social construct, which adapted to changing socio-economic conditions.

Keywords: Corded Ware culture; warriorhood; social identity; weaponry; skeletal traumata.