From the old collection Archives Prehistoric Europe!
This is a wonderful harvesting sickle
from the Central European Urnfield epoch about 1300/1200 bc.
The sickle is bent and broken, most likely a sacrificial offering,
ritually destroyed, metal money or
raw material of a bronze smith to melt down again!
The Bronze Age, evolving out of the preceding Chalcolithic period, is a fascinating moment of evolution with important economic and social changes as metallurgy develops, while stone implements are still being used and made. Mining expands with ensuing contacts and commercialization; fire is mastered and a new class of metalworkers emerges. Most of the production is composed of tools and weapons such as celts, axes, spearheads, daggers and swords; personal ornaments such as bracelets, fibulas, torques are also made in considerable quantity. Parallel with the above, gold was sought after and beautifully fashioned, in part to answer the demands of a new warrior aristocracy. The Bronze Age smith was particularly sensitive to line and form as exemplified by his production. The chronology of this period is somewhat in flux and arbitrary, though many dates are based on sound contexts from excavation. The divisions between the Early, Middle and Late Bronze Age differ according to countries and schools of thought.
The Bronze Age is part of the three-age system for prehistoric societies.
In that system, it follows the Stone Age and is followed by the Iron Age.
The Urnfield culture (c. 1300 BC - 800 BC) is late Bronze Age culture of central Europe. The name comes from the custom of cremating the dead and placing their ashes in urns which were then buried in fields. The Urnfield culture followed the Tumulus culture and was succeeded by the Hallstatt culture. In some areas like south-western Germany, the date is taken as 1200 BC (beginning of Ha A), but the Bronze D Riegsee-phase already contains cremations. As the change between the middle bronze age and the Urnfield culture was gradual, this is a matter of definition. The Urnfield culture covers the phases Hallstatt A and B (Ha A and B) in Paul Reinecke's chronological system, not to be confused with the Hallstatt culture (Ha C and D) of the following Iron Age.
A wonderful artifact from an old German collection.
More details will follow the artifact.
I guarantee absolutely for the authenticity.
Please view also my other auctions with
relics from the European Prehistory.