Use-wear and ballistic analysis of arrowheads from the burial ground of Nitra culture in Holešov–Zdražilovska, Moravia

Abstract

One of the largest assemblages of lithic projectiles in the eastern part of Central Europe comes from the Nitra burial ground in Holešov–Zdražilovska. Use-wear and ballistic analysis of these artefacts provides new information regarding lithic projectile roles in studied area at the dawn of the Early Bronze Age (2200–1900 BCE). Our evaluation also includes data on the raw material from which the projectiles are made and their context. The specific location of the site in the most important prehistoric transit corridor in Central Europe – the Moravian Gate – is reflected not only in the spectrum of raw materials, but also in other differences in comparison with the recently analysed collections from the Nitra culture burial grounds of Mýtna Nová Ves and Hroznová Lhota.