DOI: 10.33547/PraceArch.69.03
The diversity of Bronze Age hoards in Europe: Some thoughts about a social practice and its variations
by Hélène Blitte 
1
1 – Institut für Archäologische Wissenschaften, Abt. III Vor- und Frühgeschichte, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
In: M. S. Przybyła, K. Dzięgielewski (eds.), Chasing Bronze Age rainbows. Studies on hoards and related phenomena in prehistoric Europe in honour of Wojciech Blajer, Prace Archeologiczne 69, Kraków: Institute of Archaeology, Jagiellonian University / Profil-Archeo, 2019, pp. 27-40.
Abstract: Thousands of Bronze Age hoards have been discovered all around Europe, showing a high variability in space and time. A visible differentiation in the content of the hoards expresses probably different depositaries and may provide some clues about the distribution of wealth – in this case bronze objects – within the society. Statistics, spatial analysis and ethnological examples provide facts that allow us to interpret this phenomenon in social and eventually economic terms.
Key words: hoards, European Bronze Age, rituals, organization of society, differences in wealth