Deliberately mutilated weapons and other objects are repeatedly discovered in ancient burials from the Iron Age. This research is focused on the Early Iron Age bent swords from the Hallstatt C period (800-600 BC) found in archaeological sites in the Netherlands. Metallographic research methods are used to investigate how these swords were bent, i.e., using a blacksmith’s fire or brute force. This elaborates on the Early Iron Age culture as it infers what kind of knowledge and skills were required for the bending process. With the help of a blacksmith, we created a replica to analyse the effect of different types of bending on the microstructure. This is compared with museum samples. Using optical microscopy and SEM(-EBSD) the microstructure of the museum sample and the replica are analysed for signs of deformation. Elemental analysis (SEM-EDS) is used on slag inclusion to estimate the initial iron and sword production processes. EPMA analysis was used to determine the carbon concentration throughout the samples, suggesting the use of wrought iron and hardening techniques. Results show that the Heythuysen sword contains multiple microstructure phases with various carbon concentrations. Most probably a combination of piling techniques and carburisation was applied during the production of the Heythuysen sword. The several bending methods of the replica show a distinction in the microstructure on the level of local misorientation. This is sensitive to the presence of inclusions and the changes in phase and grain size, which complicated the evaluation of the Heythuysen sword. The Heythuysen sword does not show strong evidence of bending by brute force and is most likely bent by a blacksmith with a fire.

The different phases in the life of archaeological objects can be described by artefact biography. This dissertation defines an updated version: artefact biography 2.0, and the life phases of Early Iron Age bronze studs from Oss-Zevenbergen, the Netherlands, are elaborated. Throughout the thesis, the research revolves around information value.

The bronzes have been studied from an interdisciplinary point of view, which has allowed the extraction of information that is also applicable to other corroded bronzes in general. It is argued that:
- corrosion products and inclusions may reflect original microstructure

- corrosion inhibitor BTAH binds to Sn and SnO2
- technical investigations before conservation increase the information value of an artefact.