Bronze Age adventures

[rumacara]

Hello all

As the tittle sugests this is a subject that is groing in me.
I started watching documentaries and Reading books and articles about it and decided to make 2 small tribes of north european bronze age warriors choosing ancient germans as the base.

I would like to chalenge other LAF members to place here their ideas and pictures of the warriors they choosen for Bronze Age projects/armies/warbands as a guide to other people who shares this same history likeness.
I know there are other topics about Bronze Age but what i mainly wish is the warriors and peoples as the main subject.
Their clothes, their weapons, their tactics.

So here are mine for a start. The first northern european warband.

[rumacara]

And a few more.
Miniatures are mainly ancient germans from Black Tree Design with 3 Foundry models mixed (club warrior, standard bearer and witch).
 

[Patrice]

Inspiring...

[WimVdB]

The late bronze age interests me a lot, but more the Myceneans, Minoans and Hittites.

I have some figures stacked away, waiting for a lick of paint.
In fact, I'm just back from a vacation at Crete (no hotel resort, thank you!), where I visited several excavated Minoan towns and museums. Really worth a visit if that is your thing!

You may just made me start painting my Myceneans soon.

[Richard in Sachsen]

It will take me awhile to get to them, like a year or so, but I have some old Wargames Factory plastic ancient Germans and Celts.

I had intended to use them for exactly what you are using them for here after our last discussion. Actually, until you and I discussed Tribal I had no idea what to do with them except sell them on eBay. Not only do I dislike plastics because of their fragility on the tabletop (there's always an arm or two to glue back on) but they are too "ancient" to use as Migration Period and the German cavalry are barefoot, which was a minus for me as I am not about to build a 28mm EIR army and enemies (except in 6mm), my late Romans, Goths, Franks, Saxons, Picts, Romano-British, Irish & Huns costs me enough that I am pretty much done with 28mm (my wife adamantly agrees).

That said, my last major 28mm buy I've planned for next month and that would be a Foundry Bronze Age war band with 2-4 chariots. Roughly equal size to my two box of Germans (one foot and one horse) and my box of Celts. After that, I really need to get back to and focus on 15 and 6mm: less space and less cost. Really starting to fall in love with the 6's!

Nevertheless, now it suddenly seems that those negatives above turn to positives. The great thing about plastics is that they lend themselves to conversions much easier than metal. I can foresee, and looking forward to, many conversion ideas on LAF in the future because I am not really sure what to do but can see that they will need some sort of conversion.

Imitation is the best form of flattery and I will be imitating you guys a lot.

My barefoot, hairy cavalry? Now they're perfect! Too ancient for the "Migration period?" Now we are talking about an earlier "Great Migration" the Indo-Europeans migrating from the Pontic Steppes into, well, the area where I currently reside.

In fact, there are theories suggesting that this migration and clash of the Indo-Europeans with the cultures already in Northern Europe may have been the origin of the Germanic myths depicting the Asgard's war and victory over the Vanar (initial war then assimilation.)

There are many books on Proto-Indo-European linguistics, culture, and archeological history inhabiting my bookshelves that I needed as background for the dissertation. Now I will dust some of them off and and have a look with an eye to cultural effects on painting and accoutrements, if there are any. Linguistics may show Indo-European interests and myth through vocabulary that may transfer to ideas for decorating banners and shields.

This period of late stone to early bronze age is so interesting and open and nothing is really set in stone (heh, so to speak!)

So count me in, hell, maybe it'll excite and motivate me enough to put together and paint a small group of PIEs (Proto-Indo-Europeans) between Late Roman units. It's also give me much needed practice with green stuff sculpting.

@WimVB

We were in Crete at this time last year for vacation (yes, at a resort Hotel, which made it sooooo much easier with a then two-and-a-half-year-old girl.) We got to get a good look around Knossos, which was fantastic, until my daughter, Aurelia, started getting bored. And that is exactly the reason why we didn't go to the museums, , just not practical and really impossible with a toddler. All the more reason to go back.

As to the Myceneans, Minoans and Hittites, I am perfectly willing to stand corrected, but I am under the impression that it was extremely possible and more likely than not that in the northern backwaters of those empires our forces clashed. The PIEs and "Hügelgräberkultur" (Cairn Culture?) I think will play very well and give some variety to enemies your guys can face. I'm getting psyched reading this, this sounds fun!

[rumacara]

Thanks for the kind words.
I need inspiration to get back in the hobby.
For the time being i´m converting 15mm gangs of rome and finished this first band of Bronze Age warriors and am starting the second (another germanic type warband).

For this Project, pictures of other peoples armies/warbands are very welcome for inspiration, not just for me but to all others who may want the same type of Project. Books and links to web pages are also most welcome for my library has almost nothing about the Bronze Age specially about northern Europe wich is what i focus on.

When i started this i just gathered some figures and imagined what was a northern european bronze age warrior to me. The initial idea and what it came was to pick some germanic warriors full of animal skins and convert some stuff i wanted on the miniatures. I choose not to place any shields, first by lack of info regarding them and in my vision i did wanted them to come appart of the typical germanic warrior we all know who fights against rome. I wanted a more rude and primal warrior.
For those who choose Mediterranean Bronze Age their projects are easyer because there are a lot of manufacturers producing lovelly figures for the subject. For me i need to convert them and pick the "apropriated" figures i want.

Richard of Sachsen any info you have is usefull for me and by sharing ideas we are also helping others who may not have access to info.
About the cost of miniatures i´m always open to trade with someone whenever possible to complete eachother projects without spending Money (except postage of course).
I´m also changing some 28mm projects to 15mm for lack of space and spare some Money. Also there is the possibility of myself to migrate to other country next year.

WimVB, mediterranean peoples are also very interesting but i prefer northern europe. For me its a more chalenging Project. Nevertheless i would like you to place here your thoughts and chosen figures. They certainly will be inspiring.

Patrice, your projects and painting are also very inspiring. Keep them coming.

[Richard in Sachsen]

Two books I just got off my shelves may prove helpful. Mind you, I haven't read them all the way through as there were only a couple of chapters relevant for my academic focus.

1. The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-age Riders from the Steppes shaped the Modern World. by David W. Anthony. ISBN-13: 978-0-691-05887-0

This book was a major contribution, you may even find it in Portuguese at the library. First of all, you don't need to read the whole thing and definitely skip the linguistics. Nevertheless, some chapters may be relevant (again, I only read bits but I've been meaning to read the whole thing for recreational reading because it is so fascinating to me.) For example, Chapter Eleven The End of Old Europe and the Rise of the Steppe may provide insights to the Northern European and Steppe culture conflicts. Chapter Four Language and Time 2: Wool, Wheels, and Proto-Indo-European may provide insight to what they wore, etc. so that we can extrapolate tunic colors and designs. Again, I haven't got through these chapters myself, so I need to take a look.

2. Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction by Benjamin W. Forton IV. ISBN 978-1-4051-8895-1. This is an introductionary textbook to Indo-European linguistics, again skip all of the linguistics, which is most of the book. But Chapter 2 Proto-Indo-European Culture and Archaeology is worth photocopying from a library book as it covers society, religion, ritual, and myth. Again, it is possible to extrapolate shield and standard symbology from the information. The rest of the book is grammar and morphology, probably pretty dry stuff for wargamers.

The other stuff I have, on a second look, deals even more with linguistics and probably not relevant to our purposes (not to mention pretty complicated and boring for those who are just looking for some background on the war bands they're painting.)

In any case, that is where I'm going to start.

[Emir of Askaristan]

Watching your posts with interest guys.

I second the recommendation of "The Horse...." It is a wonderful book (so good when I accidentally left my finished copy on a plane and didn't get it back I bought another!).

[nervisfr]

Excellent idea Rui.

And very good choice about the BTD German. They are a great pleasure to paint...

Cheers
Eric

[zippyfusenet]

Interesting subject. I wish you all success with your projects and hope you'll share photos and game reports as you advance. I am resisting the notion of building copper age/bronze age forces in 28mm, since I *really* can't handle another project, however appealing. My efforts are far too dispersed as it is. I already have a collection of 15mm chariot age armies, Bronze and Iron I, for the ancient Near East, all DBx mounted. And a 25mm/28mm Prehistoric North America collection that is my main interest for tribal warfare. I'll continue to work on building those out.

I read more widely though, and I'll recommend a couple of books that might be useful to you:

Elizabeth Wayland Barber The Mummies of Urumchi is a detailed examination of the Tarim Basin mummies, probably relics of the Tocharians, an early Indo-European people. Of greatest interest to miniature modelers may be the many, close-up photos of well-preserved textile garments found in the graves. This is how proto-Indo-Europeans dressed.

https://www.amazon.com/Mummies-Urumchi-Elizabeth-Wayland-Barber/dp/0393320197

Barry Cunliffe Europe Between the Oceans: 9000 BC-AD 1000 is a recent survey by an acknowledged expert of European pre-history and history from the neolithic to the early medieval periods. The unifying theme is that Europe is a peninsula, and the oceanic coasts are avenues of trade and migration that have always carried cultural change and tied the whole together.

https://www.amazon.com/Europe-Between-Oceans-9000-BC-AD/dp/0300170866

[Miantanomo]

Interesting subject. I wish you all success with your projects and hope you'll share photos and game reports as you advance. I am resisting the notion of building copper age/bronze age forces in 28mm, since I *really* can't handle another project, however appealing. My efforts are far too dispersed as it is.

I can completely agree with this. I have so much going on that I can't start bronze age myself. But will watch this thread hoping it gives me satisfaction instead of longing for a force of my own. Best of luck!

[rumacara]

Eric, Emir, Zippyfusenet, Miantanomo Thanks for the kind words.

Zippyfusenet you are already participating and helping. Keep the literature coming.

Richard the book " The Horse, the Wheel..." is on my wanted list on amazon. Probably will order in November.

[Richard in Sachsen]

I started delving into "Horse" last night. We your copy arrives, you may find page 92 useful

The most famous definition of the basic divisions in Proto-Indo0European society was the tripartite scheme of Georges Dumézil, who suggested that there was a fundamental three-part division between the ritual specialist or priest, the warrior, and the ordinary herder/cultivator. Colors might have been associated with these three roles: white for the priest, red for the warrior, and black or blue for the herder/cultivator [...]

I had forgotten which book got me interested in this period and spurned me to write that post requesting suggestions for rule systems covering the period a couple of weeks ago.

I had just finished Bernard Cornwell's Stonehenge.

I realize that Cornwell has his (in some cases justified) critics of his writing style, but for a book to read at the end of the day while comfortable in bed, a Thomas Mann or James Joyce is just too heady for me. I'm looking for a fast-paced yarn that keeps me engaged and entertained.

Stonehenge did that (well, after the first 100 pages or so, it is slow in the beginning and I started the book twice.) But it picks up and I found it a plausible speculation about this period in Northern Europe. Some ideas of his I will apply to some of the war bands. For instance, the main tribe uses woad for their tattoos but the "outlander" tribes use grey. I found that a superb way to differentiate with war-bands that will probably look very similar in dress and appearance.

Having read his Warlord and Anglo-Saxon series, however, my only issue is that he seems to regurgitate his characters. Derfel/Uhtred are practically the same character, at least in the beginning of the Warrior Chronicles. Stonehenge is no exception. Without giving away spoilers, I found myself thinking at various parts of the book "Oh, well, he's just like Merlin" and "Oh, look at that, it's Nimue" and unfortunately some of the plotlines associated with those characters were obviously foreshadowed and predictable if you read Cornwell's Arthurian trilogy.

But other than that issue, I found the book enjoyable, especially for zoning out before going to sleep and I felt that it captured a definite, if speculative, flavor of the period.

That's the book that got me interested in this period recently, so that's also a recommend on my part.

[rumacara]

Strangely i have almost all the books of Bernard Cornwell as well as Stonehedge and i´ve never read it!!!!
I dont know why but defenetly will read on my vacations next month.
Lets see what crazy ideas might occur to me.

1 band glued and primed (as pictured before) and the other, miniatures chosen, converting phase and gluing.

[mikeygees]

This is great as I am smack-dab in the middle of a European Bronze Age project inspired by the recent finds and article 'Slaughter at the bridge,  'Battle of Tollensie River'. My game will be DBX inspired, played on a 4' by 3' table using 15mm figures. The figures of choice are the 'Forged in Battle' Ancient Germans.
One opponents Warbands are predominantly long spears with the occasional swordsmen, supported by bowmen, javilenmen, LH, and Chariots.  Opponent B's  Warbands are equipped with swords, axes, and clubs, supported by archers and calvary.  I have made several patches of woods and bogs. I have a small river cutting the board in half and I have purchased and painted all the standing stones from Copplestone Miniatures. Each side will have 36 elements.  I will post some pics later.