Hi Guys
i just obtained a bronze sword from Neil Burridge, a lovely thing it is too. I have now become interested in the subject of Bronze Age weapons but find my references lacking. Can someone suggest couple of good "starters"on the subject?
Thanks
Phil

Barry Molloy's "The Cutting Edge" is a good one to start with.

Yeah, when it comes to functionality, Barry's work is a great place to start. If you want to look at pretty pictures, books like "Gods and Heroes of the European Bronze Age" are a good place to start. And if you look for just many many pictures/drawings of swords or other weapons, the "Praehistorische bronzefunde" series are a fantastic resource, though they aren't cheap. But if you want a great overview of the Nordic bronze age, I highly recommend "Minnen fran var forntid" by Oscar Montelius.

Thanks guys. Off into a whole new world.
Phil

If you are interested with bronze weapons from the Middle-East the best source is (still) the old work in two volumes by Yigael Yadin: The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands. The problem, it is extremly hard to find and consequently pretty pricy.

Oh, and if you haven't been there already, you will probably want to browse around at the Bronze Age Center:

http://z8.invisionfree.com/Bronze_Age_Center/index.php?act=idx

Assuming you apply for membership (and assuming you aren't already a member!), be sure to use one or both real names as a user name (e.g., John Smith, J. Smith, John S., etc.). Lotsa good info there.

Congrats on a lovely sword!

Matthew