Investigations in the Tollense Valley in north-eastern Germany have provided evidence of a large and violent conflict in the thirteenth century BC.

The arrowhead data hint at the presence of foreign fighters in the Tollense Valley, probably deriving from southern Central Europe. This leads to questions about governance, warfare and mobility at the dawn of the Urnfield period in the thirteenth century BC; for the first time not only trade and cultural exchange, but also warfare on a supra-regional scale, can be documented in Central Europe.

The approximately 150 recorded individuals from the Tollense Valley are most likely only the tip of the iceberg. Considering that the number of fighters comprised at least many hundreds up to a few thousand, it seems possible that one or several groups/tribes were involved and that this was not just a small raiding war band.