DANISH JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY 2019, VOL 8, 1-24 1 A Novel Geometric Morphometric (GMM) Application to the Study of Bronze Age Tutuli Christina Vestergaard1,3 and Christian Steven Hoggard1,2 1 Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Moesgaard Allé 20, 8750 Højb- jerg, Denmark. 2 Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Southampton, United Kingdom. 3 Corresponding author (
[email protected]) ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY In this paper we examine the morphological diversity of the tutuli object group from the Ear- Received 18 February ly Nordic Bronze Age onwards, an often over-looked artefact. With a significant presence 2019; throughout this period, and their widespread geographic and temporal distribution throughout Accepted 24 June 2019 the Nordic Bronze Age, tutuli are of great interpretive potential. Currently, only a few studies, KEYWORDS focusing on the morphological diversity of tutuli have been published, consisting of accepted Artefact analysis; Small decades-old typologies. The objective of this paper is first and foremost methodological, exa- finds; Quantitative mining two research questions grounded on the classification and periodisation of tutuli. Spe- analysis; Scandinavia; cifically, through an analytical and exploratory framework this article examines whether the Ornaments breadth of archaeological tutuli shapes conform to the classificatory system of Montelius’ ty- pology, and whether a temporal relationship exists between specific tutuli types and shapes. Introduction “the label tutuli (singular tutulus) was designated ear- ly on to distinguish some small circular plates, which From the beginning of the earlier Nordic Bronze Age have an eye or crossbar on the underside and a more (NBA henceforth), ranging from c.