Tollense battle

 “In 1996, an amateur archaeologist found a single upper arm bone sticking out of the steep riverbank—the first clue that the Tollense Valley, about 120 kilometers north of Berlin, concealed a gruesome secret. A flint arrowhead was firmly embedded in one end of the bone, prompting archaeologists to dig a small test excavation that yielded more bones, a bashed-in skull, and a 73-centimeter club resembling a baseball bat. The artifacts all were radiocarbon-dated to about 1250 B.C.E., suggesting they stemmed from a single episode during Europe's Bronze Age.”

https://www.science.org/content/article/slaughter-bridge-uncovering-colossal-bronze-age-battle

Before this find, archeologist held that a gathering of forces of that size was impossible for that time. Central governments did not exist, nor did towns. Families lived separate from others.

Interesting that this battle is not far removed in time from events noted in Eric Cline’s work, 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed.