Re: bronze age weapons

Well, Mallory, "In Search of the Indo-Europeans" says there aint much
evidence of warfare until the late bronze age. And Campbell suggests
that these early agrarian cultures, which had vastly more people than
the patriarchic hunting tribes, were matriarchic.

Gimbutas shows us lots of arsenic bronze artifacts from the
Chalcolithic era in Slavic Europe, (8000-4000 BCE) *none* of which are
weapons. So a very skilled degree of metalugy existed prior to the
manufacture of the bronze weapons you refer to, and it was, as you say,
a very valuable commodity. And typical for precious objects, more for
ceremonial uses.

The "Chieftan" skeleton at Varna is also instructive because of the
notorious gold "penis sheath". I read that what we actually have here
is a transvestite dyke. This is supported by the fact that in the
Balkans, not that far away, there are *still* transvestite dyke
chieftans.

Seems that in the chronic blood feuds that hill tribes are known for,
nobody would assassinate a woman. Of course, since she'd just be
replaced by another woman.

The spears buried with the body are instructive as well, with metal
points that are way to long and slender for military use. I expect
fishing. Varna is on the West coast of the Black Sea. Then too, there
are the double headed axes.

And again, not weapons. They are made of gold foil with handles thinner
than my pinky. I dont think you could behead a mouse with one. They
are, as Gimbutas says, *not* double bitted axes, but magic wands, the
shape actually representing butterflys.

Of course, as patriarchy took over, it was morphed into the labyrith.

Thanx for the tip about short sword handles.

.