Abstract
The first part of the essay uses the Early Bronze Age hoards in Bohemia to illustrate the fundamental structures of deposit composition: very different hoard models are based on the Bronze hoard triad of axes, sickles, and bracelets. These models are described because of their long-term effectiveness as part of the cultural memory. The paper then uses a content analysis of the Rydec hoard in northern Bohemia to show that deposits of so-called scrap metal represent an authoritative selection of the individual dedications of various people. The different spatial, temporal, and social levels of such complexes reveal a long-term process of accumulation. Structural parallelism with sites of river sacrifice and ancient Greek sanctuaries can help to identify the corresponding hoards as secondary deposits of very similar practices of dedication.