Breaking Metals: Quantification and Interpretation of Bronze Fragmentation in Bronze Age Italy and Europe

This article explores the phenomenon of bronze fragmentation in Bronze Age Italy and Europe, focusing on the quantification and interpretation of metal breakage practices. The intentional fragmentation of bronze objects from the Middle Bronze Age onwards has been interpreted through ritual, utilitarian, and economic lenses. This paper reviews existing classifications of fragmentation methods and their interpretive implications, proposing an alternative proxy to assess the purpose of fragmentation: weight analysis as a null hypothesis. By applying quantitative methods, such as metrological analysis and statistical evaluation, this study offers a comprehensive understanding of fragmentation processes and their socio-economic implications. Drawing on data from hoards across Europe, the article argues that bronze fragments, often shaped to specific weight standards, may have functioned as money, aligning with the development of weighing technologies.