Archers

In terms of funerary archaeology, the Bell Beaker period in Europe
exhibits two main burial complexes: collective burials in the west
and single graves in the east. This study focuses on the implication of
stone wristguards, as well as other objects associated with archery,
included in select single inhumation burials of the Eastern complex.
Such stone wristguards are currently interpreted as a piece of protective
equipment used by archers; however, their fabrications in stone
and the overall lack of evidence for usage raises the question of practicality.
Were these wristguards used in the everyday lives of warriors
or were they symbolic? And were the individuals interred with these
wristguards archers themselves? Answering these questions could
address a bigger question concerning the presence of a social class
of archers and its implications towards the importance of warfare at
a time of transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age.
In order to respond to these questions, this paper first examines
the evidence and the archaeological perspective on archery and
warfare throughout the Neolithic, culminating in the Bell Beaker period.
This is followed by an anthropological approach attempting to
identify specialized archery from the osteological remains of 27 Bell
Beaker individuals from Bohemia (Czech Republic). 10 of the individuals
were buried in the presence of archery-related objects, primarily
stone wristguards, thus classifying them as “suspected archers”.
Anthropological analyses involved integrating the human biomechanics
of archery with classifications of entheseal changes in order
to postulate on an individual’s likelihood of having been a specialized
archer. While these analyses revealed minimal differences between
specific points on the skeletons of the suspected and nonsuspected
archers, the suspected archers do share some common
characteristics. This study validates the use of anthropological analyses
in identifying specialized archers. These results also indicate that
the individuals interred with stone wristguards were likely archers
themselves. Identifying a specialized archer in the presence of artisanal
archery goods provides additional evidence for a class of archers
during the Bell Beaker period.