The ‘Keltenblock’ project: discovery and excavation of a rich Hallstatt grave at the Heuneburg, Germany Dirk Krausse, Nicole Ebinger-Rist, Sebastian Million, André Billamboz, Joachim Wahl & Elisabeth Stephan∗

A richly furnished grave of an elite woman from the Hallstatt period was discovered close to the Heuneburg, the earliest proto-urban settlement north of the Alps. Dendrochrono- logical analysis of timbers from the grave Berlin chamber dates the burial to 583 BC, the earliest of a series of such burials north of the Alps and a key anchor in the absolute chronology of the Early Iron Age in Europe. The woman was adorned with gold, bronze, jet and amber jewellery; gold filigree objects, amber fibulae and items of horse-head The Heuneberg N armour suggest close connections south of the 0 km 200 Alps. An infant female burial close to the main grave included gold jewellery made for a child but similar to that of the woman. Keywords: Germany, Iron Age, Hallstatt, grave goods, jewellery, gold, dendrochronology

Introduction The Heuneburg is one of the most important and best-researched Iron Age sites in Central Europe. Systematic work on the Late Hallstatt princely seat began in 1950, and large- scale excavations continued until 1979 (Kimmig 1989). These excavations were extremely successful, leading to the discovery of the earliest proto-urban settlement north of the Alps, and producing often sensational results such as the famous Mediterranean-style mud-brick architecture of the fortification, yet they only scratched the surface. Since the 1990s, it has become clear that the Heuneburg itself is merely the core of a much larger and extremely complex settlement that, in the sixth century BC, covered an area of some 1km2 (Kurz 2000; Fernandez-Götz & Krausse 2013). During the course of a research project funded by

∗ Landesamt für Denkmalpflege, Archaeology, Berlinerstrasse 12, Esslingen, Baden-Württemberg 73728, Germany Author for correspondence (Email: [email protected]) © Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2017 antiquity 91 355 (2017): 108–123 doi:10.15184/aqy.2016.228 108 Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core. Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, on 01 Feb 2017 at 09:30:07, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2016.228 at Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms hsi nw nyfo ufc ns oi sucerwehri sascae ihtegraves the with associated is it whether unclear settlement. is Age it Iron so of an finds, (Kurz for centuries surface all evidence from by here, only is known levelled sizes there is necropolis, been various This the itself—have of of Bettelbühl west tumuli 300m the seven Only of originally topographical agriculture. were exception A area. there the the that which—with and floods revealed the Danube, of regularly River site as unusual that the the an stream of known of in a side survey situated Bettelbühlbach, opposite is is the the cemetery what on by The Heuneburg, traversed of 65m. the is of below 4 diameter plain a the mound and in survived 3.7m has of position that around tumulus vicinity of a height Bettelbühl, the a the from to in derived is found name The necropolis. was Bettelbühl burial fragment child’s the fibula of The discovery the and necropolis Bettelbühl The (Krausse child’s Foundation the Research from German 20mm) the (diameter: pendants the and 50mm) (length: fibulae bronze Hallstatt burial. gold-plated The 1. Figure ye otsae bleadapi fgle ednsdcrtdwt lge ( filigree with decorated pendants golden of fragment, pair almost fibula a the lay and including fibulae which The goods, boat-shaped of plough. type, grave the bottom the by the scattered of been and Some had ploughsoil. furnished, the richly beneath unusually, directly was, that grave child’s settlement, outer the and town lower the (Kurz Heuneburg in the time of first surroundings the the for in and out carried was work survey 8–3.Teaeo h hl ttetm fdahwsdtrie ob w ofu years four to two be to determined was death of time the at child the of age The 181–83). h hp n oiino hc ugs htte eeero eddcrtos(Kurz decorations head or ear were they that suggest which of position and shape the field- during discovered was fibula ( bronze Heuneburg gold-plated the of a south-south-east of 2.4km some fragment walking a 2005, autumn In https:/www.cambridge.org/core 2007 3) necvto are u n20 hwdta h bl aefo a from came fibula the that showed 2005 in out carried excavation An 130). : . https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2016.228 . Universidad AutonomadeMadrid h Klebok project ‘Keltenblock’ The nsitu in 109 2008 reat nlddtogold-plated, two included artefacts , on , 2008 2010 01 Feb2017 at09:30:07 , rm20–00 xaainand excavation 2003–2010, from ) 2010 iue1 Figure niut ulctosLd 2017 Ltd, Publications Antiquity © Krausse ; ). , subjectto theCambridgeCore termsofuse,available tal. et 2015 iue1 Figure navicella- 73–84). : 2008 ), :

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(Kurz & Wahl 2006: 78–82). The excavation revealed that the child’s grave was in fact a secondary burial situated directly next to the shaft of a larger, central grave.

The en bloc recovery of the central shaft grave As mound 4 was threatened by agricultural activity, and there were possibly further secondary burials and other archaeological features directly beneath the ploughsoil, the area was systematically examined, beginning in August 2010. The mound, once more than 4m high with a diameter of around 40m, survived to a height of around 0.2–0.3m at the centre, becoming progressively lower towards the edges. In the centre, an unusually large, nearly square, grave shaft could be recognised, measuring 6.6 × 5.8m and aligned north–south. The shaft was filled with homogeneous, dark brown humus surrounded by a ring of light, sterile gravel: the remains from the digging of the grave shaft or of the primary burial mound. Test drilling revealed that the lower part of the shaft was situated in waterlogged levels, suggesting good preservation of organic materials. Given that the drill core contained the remains of compact timbers, there was a strong possibility that the timbers of the burial chamber had survived and could provide a dendrochronological date for the structure. Drilling also indicated that the bottom of the burial chamber lay no more than 1.1m beneath the modern surface. Taking into consideration the threat to the research potential of the dendrochronologically dated timbers of the burial chamber from both agricultural activity and illegal excavations, it was decided, in October 2010, to excavate the central grave. This decision was further taken on the assumption that the contents of the grave had been disturbed because all central burials beneath monumental tumuli excavated previously in the area surrounding the Heuneburg had been found to have been looted in antiquity (Kurz & Schiek 2002: 35–36). The excavation of two trial trenches uncovered the remains of a rectangular, timber burial chamber, oriented north–south. Although the trenches were small, amber and jet grave goods were found in situ only 0.1m above the timbers. Further doubts as to whether the grave had been disturbed in antiquity were raised by the discovery of several gold objects on the floor of the timber chamber. In order to guarantee a scientifically satisfactory recovery and analysis of the burial and the finds, the entire burial chamber was removed en bloc (Krausse & Ebinger-Rist 2011). The resulting block, which measured 6 × 7 × 1m and weighed 80 tonnes, was transported to the laboratories of the Archaeological State Office of Baden-Württemberg (Figure 2). Other areas with a concentration of finds were encased in plaster together with the timber beneath them. A total of 14 blocks were removed in this way, and 3D X-ray images were produced of them with a CT scanner (GE vtomex 450) (Ebinger-Rist et al. 2011).

The burial chamber The wooden floor and the remains of the side walls of the chamber were excavated. It was almost square in plan, measuring 4.6 × 3.8m, and was aligned north–south (Figure 3). The floor was constructed from nine oak and two silver fir planks that were laid parallel to the long sides of the chamber, i.e. north–south (Figure 4). © Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2017

110 Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core. Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, on 01 Feb 2017 at 09:30:07, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2016.228 at Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms sarsl fntrlpoess ems sueta,i h er n eae fe the after decades and years the in that, assume must We processes. natural extremely of was result were a it objects iron as materials, few that organic surprise no other thus is and It conditions objects. waterlogged wood bronze found. the and the iron Although the floor. of to chamber detrimental preservation the of good planks the meant the chamber, the in on onto the directly located flat earth thick, within was the places walls, of weight the two the of by in pressed layers although been and upper survived, collapsed floor. the had not roof with exclusively with had the consisted as as of so layers chamber, remains walls, and vertical the chamber Both soil The of with thick. timbers, side. roof aerated 0.1m of western The layer planks, the oak. lowest split on of the of preserved was consisted also walls floor, above chamber the layer the level. of the transverse this lining above of the preserved the some were of materials beyond organic survived or extended that were timbers no All that and planks so floor, long, The chamber the of 5m east–west. and aligned thick oak, 0.12m of to timbers timbers. up supporting wide, two 0.33m on rested raised. They being block 80-tonne the of 2010 December 28 on taken view aerial An 2. Figure oeo h ua ean n rv od eedslcdfo hi rgnlpositions original their from displaced were goods grave and remains human centimetres the of few Some a only layer a in compressed lay goods grave the of majority The surface the above 0.1–0.2m only was soil aerated and waterlogged between boundary The https:/www.cambridge.org/core . https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2016.228 . Universidad AutonomadeMadrid h Klebok project ‘Keltenblock’ The 111 , on 01 Feb2017 at09:30:07 niut ulctosLd 2017 Ltd, Publications Antiquity © , subjectto theCambridgeCore termsofuse,available

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Figure 3. A three-dimensional view of the burial chamber taken with a terrestrial laser scanner. Plan of the burial with the location of the main grave goods.

construction of the grave, the area was subjected to seasonal flooding from the nearby stream, and that the burial chamber was regularly filled with water that trickled slowly into it. Some of the grave goods will have floated, and this, together with the processes of decomposition and settling, meant that the lighter objects in particular will have been displaced on several occasions. The collapse of the roof of the chamber will have moved additional objects around. Even though there were no traces in the fill of the grave shaft of any secondary intrusion, the possibility cannot be excluded that the burial chamber was reopened at a later time. The fact that numerous objects remained in the grave—including gold, amber and solid bronze—clearly precludes profane grave looting as an explanation for the position of the skeletal remains. © Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2017

112 Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core. Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, on 01 Feb 2017 at 09:30:07, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2016.228 at Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms eoete a eld;S felled); was tree before h anburial main The indicated are dates Relevant perspective. bird’s-eye a from timbers grave the DC of arrows. pictures with composite Distortion-free 4. Figure e hudr Fgrs33&5–) nadto,fu rnefiua n he ihamber with three and fibulae bronze ( four bows addition, their the In on of 5d–e). decoration member & a 3.3 (Figures was shoulders she her that indicate large, goods Two grave elite. rich social unusually The back (e.g. tall. determination its 1.6–1.62m gender was on of extension features ( and full wall methods in scientific chamber Grupe out on west based the laid female, by was as north, identified burial the main to feet the the in with 1) (individual skeleton The https:/www.cambridge.org/core tal. et 2015 = edohoooia ubr B number; dendrochronological .Hraea h ieo et a eetmtda 04 er,adshe and years, 30–40 at estimated be can death of time the at age Her ). = . https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2016.228 aewt awo ae ntenme fspodrings. sapwood of number the on based sapwood with date navicella . Universidad AutonomadeMadrid iue5 Figure tp odfiua eelctdt h ot ftelvlof level the of south the to located were fibulae gold -type h Klebok project ‘Keltenblock’ The –)wr rsre thrcet(iue35.I h area the In 3.5). (Figure chest her at preserved were a–c) = ubro h ln;W plank; the of number 113 , on 01 Feb2017 at09:30:07 iue3 Figure niut ulctosLd 2017 Ltd, Publications Antiquity © = ) h eesdwsfirmly was deceased The C). aewt ae-de(attree-ring (last waney-edge with date , subjectto theCambridgeCore termsofuse,available

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Figure 5. The three amber fibulae (a–c) and two gold navicella-type-fibulae (d–e) were found at various places on the upper body of the main burial.

of the upper torso, five gold spheres decorated with filigree were also found (Figure 3.4), which, together with 26 ribbed, gold tubular beads and numerous amber beads of various sizes, were part of an elaborate necklace. The gold spheres are similar to those from Ins and Jegensdorf (Switzerland) and, although probably inspired by numerous gold beads known from Central Italy from the seventh and sixth centuries, were locally produced (Éluère 2004: 93, 571). Granulation was used in the manufacture of at least some of the Etruscan originals and the spheres from Jegensdorf and Ins, but only the filigree technique was used for the examples from the burial at Bettelbühl (Figure 6a–e). Thefactthatnogoldneckringorbronzevesselswerefoundinthegraveisnotan indication of looting. As Steffen (2012: 59–61) recently showed, gold neck rings do not occur in female burials of the early sixth century BC, and bronze vessels are only very rarely found in female burials of this period in south-western Germany. Amber jewellery in the form of a large pendant lay by the woman’s left hip. She wore a richly decorated belt around her waist, the front of which consisted of a sheet of bronze, while the back was formed from a leather band decorated with bronze bars and thousands of bronze staples (Figures 3.7 & 7). Her forearms were adorned with a total of seven jet bracelets (Figure 3.6), while near her navel, turned wooden objects of boxwood were found; their purpose is still puzzling (Figure 8). Around each of her ankles, the woman wore a solid bronze foot ring (Figure 3.8). © Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2017

114 Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core. Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, on 01 Feb 2017 at 09:30:07, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2016.228 at Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms n fec,teei rpzia lqefo hc agtlpsae el.Tostrips Two bells. tulip-shaped hang which from plaque trapezoidal a is 6–7 there least each, facets 190kg. at of abrasion and were end 160 animals the between the of of that weight length a reveal the attained into canines, had upper fitted and and the are 0.2m), old with years which around occlusion of (curvature the bases teeth by the created the individual, of ( an ornaments length semi-circular of The make pair canines to Each settings right preserved. bronze-sheet well and tubular particularly decorated, left are boar the wild of male consists of jaws lower the ‘tusks’—from or ntmclcmoiini netne oslpsto ( position dorsal extended an in composition anatomical curdaogtenrhwl ftecabr eoae rneset,o uncertain of sheets, bronze Decorated ( materials, chamber. corner organic the north-east for the of and in wall uncovered objects were bronze north purpose, for the both along preservation, occurred for chamber conditions the best of The wall north the along finds The tomography). computer belt (X-ray bronze XCT the using of made illustration Three-dimensional 7. Figure (f). pinhead gold the and (a–e) spheres gold five The 6. Figure h rnestig ahhv ml upninlosa hi pe ns ttelower the At ends. upper their at loops suspension small have each settings bronze The h otcailseea ean ftedcae eefudi lotcomplete almost in found were deceased the of remains skeletal post-cranial The https:/www.cambridge.org/core . https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2016.228 . Universidad AutonomadeMadrid h Klebok project ‘Keltenblock’ The 115 alo h hme ( chamber the north the jaw of of lower middle wall upper Her the near female. left situated adult was the this the be of near arm well found was could that calvarium bone individual. long one The to belong remains skeletal the of wall ( age, east chamber the and at gender found calvarium of the determination the to osdrbedsac rmtecalvarium. the from distance considerable left the found and not were skull humerus the and disturbed, been , on 01 Feb2017 at09:30:07 iue3 Figure iue3 Figure iue3 Figure ) w ar fteeth—‘fangs’ of pairs Two c). niut ulctosLd 2017 Ltd, Publications Antiquity © ) h hudrae had area shoulder The C). )adtepost-cranial the and A) , subjectto theCambridgeCore termsofuse,available nsitu in iue3 Figure iue 3 Figures According . ) ta at B), b& 9 ).

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of bronze had been attached between the tusks; further bells were attached to the upper transverse strip. Boars’ tusks, occasionally with bronze mounts, are known from burials of the late seventh and sixth centuries BC in south-west Germany. They have sometimes been identified as part of horse tack, sometimes as part of female attire (Riek & Hundt 1962: 150– 53; Kurz & Schiek 2002: 57–58); no parallels to the pairs of boars’ tusks from Bettelbühl mound 4 are, however, known from the Early Iron Age. We must turn to the first century BC and late Celtic and early Roman complexes in south- west Germany and Switzerland to find Figure 8. Three turned box-wood objects in situ. similar pairs of boars’ tusks that have been convincingly interpreted as breast ornaments for horses (Fingerlin 1981). Sizeable patches of organic layers had been preserved in the area of the north wall of the chamber, including plant-based textiles and fragments of fur (Figure 3h), and several gold-ribbed, tubular beads, identical to the specimens from the upper part of the body of the main burial. Numerous beads, a gold pinhead (Figure 6f) and five amber pendants similar to the somewhat larger examples deposited by the hips of the main burial were found in the same area. Together, the objects found directly on or by the body, and those along the north chamber wall, form a cohesive ensemble of jewellery. An elaborately decorated gold strip earring, 285mm in length and found approximately 1m north-east of the feet Figure 9. Mounted boars’ tusks with tulip-shaped bronze of the deceased (Figure 3.2), is almost pendants mounted on a trapezoid pendant and two transverse bronze strips (length of the teeth: approximately certainly displaced; it has asymmetrical 200mm). decoration and a finely worked gold pendant suspended from the middle (Figure 10). The gold earring lay in a secondary position over the remains of the skeleton of a pig that was around six months old at the time of death—a food offering placed in the grave (Figure 3e). The pig probably lay where it was originally deposited, as indicated by the presence of a carving knife that was found close by to the east (Figure 3f). © Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2017

116 Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core. Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, on 01 Feb 2017 at 09:30:07, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2016.228 at Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms raetlctdna h ed ti o e la hte hsscn uilrpeet a represents burial second this whether bronze clear spiral a yet were of not identified remains is the goods It and grave head. wrists, the only the person on near The this found jewellery. located wire burial, ornament (size, of of main made set gender the rings simple bronze to and plain very contrast two age stark a determine In by tall. to accompanied female 1.56–1.57m employed was probably enamel around more be the adult, and from an could male, was apart criteria than 2 that, Individual few plates). so epiphyseal a poor individual extremely proportions, only was teeth, bones position. the the anatomical of of its from preservation displaced of slightly state found The was which post-cranium, the of most nw rmohrrc eaebraso h aeHlsataderyL èepros(Pauli periods are Tène La assemblages early Similar and Hallstatt hornstone. late the or of quartzite burials 1975 female banded rich other of including a from too, and artefact known found goethite were fragments Neolithic of stones two piece polished possible lay Three heart-shaped nearby a haematite. a Very red oxide, burial). of iron the ball of marble-like in fragments reddish, finds worked glass two the only crystal, in rock (the jewellery of beads comprises further glass ensemble two The of worked. been form had that sea-urchin a of fossil ( chamber the of wall uigecvto ftebra hme,termiso eodseeo idvda 2) (individual skeleton second a ( corner of south-east remains the the in chamber, found burial were the of excavation During burial? secondary or Companion 20mm). (diameter: pendant decorated filigree the of detail b) 285mm); (length: earring strip Golden a) 10. Figure ru fojcshvn etrscaatrsi faueswsas on ytenorth the by found also was amulets of characteristic features having objects of group A https:/www.cambridge.org/core 2–3 Arnold 126–33; : . https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2016.228 iue3 Figure 2012 . Universidad AutonomadeMadrid ). ) hs nld w erfidojcs namnt n the and ammonite an objects: petrified two include These g). h Klebok project ‘Keltenblock’ The iue3 Figure 117 ) h rnu a uvvd oehrwith together survived, had cranium The D). , on 01 Feb2017 at09:30:07 niut ulctosLd 2017 Ltd, Publications Antiquity © , subjectto theCambridgeCore termsofuse,available

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‘companion’ who was placed in the chamber at the same time as the richly furnished burial, or a secondary burial inserted at a later date. Further interdisciplinary research, especially concerning the relationships between the three individuals, will be carried out using palaeogenetics and stable isotopes. Also required is a more detailed investigation of the taphonomic or other processes to explain the disturbance of the grave contents.

A unique find: chamfron with bit and cheek pieces Near the feet of the second skeleton, a bronze sheet nearly 0.4m long was identified (Figure 3a; 11a). The sheet is decorated with six phalera-like circular elements each with central circular bosses. Smaller circles linked by tangential lines form rings around each boss. This motif is found only rarely in the central and western parts of the Hallstatt culture (Kilian- Dirlmeier 1972: pl. 94–95), but close parallels are known from Slovenia (Teržan et al. 1985: 188, 245, 258 nos 1008, 1484, 1564; Gabrovec et al. 2006:36 no. 83). Computer tomography showed the remains of an iron horse-bit with cheek pieces placed sideways beneath the southern extremity of the bronze sheet (Figure 11b), revealing its original function and explaining its peculiar shape: the flat, northern end would comfortably fit the forehead of the horse; the inward curves at the corners of the southern end would fit the bottom of the bridge of the horse’s muzzle. The X-ray also revealed at least eight lens-shaped iron pendants that decorated the upper end of the sheet and the horse’s forelock. Given this context, the traces of rough plant netting and the remains of fur that are preserved on much Figure 11. a) The bronze chamfron in situ;b)3XCT of the inside of the bronze sheet can be views of the chamfron. In the bottom right of the image, the chamfron has been erased so that the iron bit and the interpreted as padding for the bronze horse forelock pendants are visible. forehead armour or ‘chamfron’. To date, chamfrons are unknown for the Hallstatt culture. Apart from the very contentious interpretation of the ‘Torrs chamfrein’ (Briggs 2014: 341–55), there is no archaeological evidence for head-armour for horses from the entire region north and north-west of the Alps during the Iron Age. Such items were, however, in use from the ninth century BC in various parts of the Near East, especially © Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2017

118 Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core. Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, on 01 Feb 2017 at 09:30:07, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2016.228 at Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms h re anad hmrn ( chamfrons mainland, Greek the h lmt,tedvlpeto oetadohrevrnetlcniin uigteEarly the during conditions environmental other and forest (correlation of development BC the climate, 583 the of half (Hohenheim): second the chronology in Main felled overlap). River were silver the chamber the by burial timber with earlier oak ( the year from (B130) construct a sample provided bark to final 873– date with The the from core BC). timber confirmed years 12 684–583 2015, fir (291 from and March years oak slices in (102 the obtained for wood laboratory, fir (B127), of chronologies (43 the silver tree-ring turn in samples and of grave BC) the wood 583 the building 55 around of the of period excavation allowing total a the samples), a to During site produced BC. roughly on sampling centuries grave analyses systematic sixth dendrochronological the the Initial dated to BC. burial borer seventh the century increment of ninth timbers an the fir using to silver and back oak stretch preserved rings 21 the are ( grave chamber the in treasures real The grave the of dating Dendrochronological high- Karageorghis in goods & grave (Littauer as Salamis appear in they example, centuries for seventh Cyprus; and on eighth burials the status in dating and bark and Assyria, tree-ring final in with (right) plank fir silver the of and (left) planks oak BC. the 583 of one to of Cross-sections 12. Figure 115). tpe,wihwr naie ymutdnmd o ogl h aepro (Feld period same the roughly for nomads mounted by inhabited were which steppes, (Nortmann Italy southern in centuries (Kunze BC century h ibr r loa motn aaoclgclacie rvdn nomto about information providing archive, palaeoecological important an also are timbers The https:/www.cambridge.org/core iue4 Figure .Trehnrdya-l a re a enfle n pi.Tetree- The split. and felled been had trees oak Three-hundred-year-old ). . https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2016.228 1967 . Universidad AutonomadeMadrid ,btaercre oerglryi h eet n sixth and seventh the in regularly more recorded are but ), iue 4 Figures h Klebok project ‘Keltenblock’ The prometopidia tal. et & 119 12 2005 .Terslsrvae httetesused trees the that revealed results The ). r on prdclyfo h seventh the from sporadically found are ) , on 7–7 n rmtenrhr Pontic northern the from and 176–77) : 01 Feb2017 at09:30:07 t vleBilePlhr98 9 years 290 9.8, Baillie/Pilcher -value niut ulctosLd 2017 Ltd, Publications Antiquity © , subjectto theCambridgeCore termsofuse,available 1969 .On ). 1999 :

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Iron Age. Although a slight dating shift due to delayed timber use (e.g. log stapling or wind- fallen trees) of wood that had been stored for some time cannot be precluded absolutely, the presence of bark and traces of deep blows of an axe, cutting through wood fibres, on the northern end of B128 make clear for both tree species that the wood was freshly processed. In contrast to the burial itself, with its rich grave goods, the timber construction of the grave appears improvised. The use of mature oaks of heterogeneous growth together with silver fir, which otherwise played only a supplementary role in the Heuneburg region (Billamboz 2008), suggests that there was a problem obtaining suitable timber at that time. Further analysis of the cockchafer signal found in some oak trunks (Billamboz 2014), and of the tree-rings from a palaeoecological perspective, should provide more precise information on the reduction in tree cover and on land use.

Discussion Assuming that the burial chamber was constructed soon afterwards, the death of this prominent member of Hallstatt society at the Heuneburg can be dated to 583 BC. This precious grave is thus a key element in the absolute chronology of the Early Iron Age in Europe, a chronology that has been the subject of much controversy (Trachsel 2004; Krausse 2006: 70–96; Guggisberg 2007). The navicella-type fibulae, the strip earring and the jet bracelets position the main burial in phase Ha D1 (Krausse 2006: 73–78) of the relative chronology of the Late Hallstatt period and period IV of the Heuneburg (Sievers 1984;Kurz2000). Yet the burial also contains a number of objects that have their closest parallels in regions to the south of the Alps. In addition to the gold spheres with filigree decoration, the amber fibulae from the grave in particular allow a detailed comparison with numerous Sanguisuga fibulae with amber decoration on their bows, which occur in many variants in Italy and Slovenia (Eles Masi 1986: 144–50; Glunz 1997: 70–74; Gabrovec et al. 2006: 33). The fact that the burial from Bettelbühl can be dendrochronologically dated to a specific year anchors the absolute chronology south of the Alps, which could previously draw on very few securely dated complexes from the seventh and the first half of the sixth centuries and was accordingly vague (Trachsel 2004; Guggisberg 2007). The burial from Bettelbühl is of particular significance in the debate regarding the socio- historical interpretation of the elite burials of the Hallstatt period (Krausse 2007; Schier 2010). It marks the beginning (for now) of a series of rich and elaborate Hallstatt and early La Tène female graves with gold found north-west of the Alps (Metzner-Nebelsick 2009); it is almost 100 years older than the grave of the ‘dame de Vix’ (Rolley 2003), and some 200 years older than that of the ‘Fürstin von Reinheim’. The complex is of particular socio- historical interest due to the presence of the secondary burial of the two- to four-year-old child, the gold jewellery from which has close similarities with that from the privileged woman in the main burial. The size and form of the child’s fibulae suggest that they were made especially for a small child, probably a girl. Husty (1990) has drawn attention to the increasing number of infant burials with rich grave goods during the Hallstatt and the early La Tène periods. The burial complex from Bettelbühl demonstrates for the first time that, as early as the beginning of the sixth century BC, female members of the social elite in the © Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2017

120 Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core. Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, on 01 Feb 2017 at 09:30:07, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2016.228 at Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms 04 edorhelg n okhfr ot of north cockchafers and Dendroarchaeology 2014. – Billamboz Arnold altt utr,weerc eaebraswt odgaegosapae o h first the for Preložnik appeared & goods (Gustin south-eastern grave BC contemporary gold century the with seventh in the burials place during female took time rich also where processes culture, similar Hallstatt ostentatious that rich, seems in It buried children—were graves. even culture—and Hallstatt Alpine north-west 32–36). hsgaesosrmral iiaiist h nsfo etlül(Gabrovec Bettelbühl from finds the to similarities remarkable shows grave this Sti of burial female ftesxhcnuyB—nteae rudteHueug(uz&Schiek half & (Kurz first Heuneburg the been the wall—i.e. had around mud-brick area that the the burials of BC—in period elite century sixth the only the from Previously, of known itself. were Heuneburg looted the obviously of development material. new and significant of lack for halt a of the (Krausse something concerning culture to discussion come Hallstatt core the the for of objects. arguments prestige dimensions and or social impulses symbols status new were provides Bettelbühl complex of The grave child’s furnished richly the from h rat h ot fteAp hnwspeiul realised. References previously with was connections than closer Alps the much of demonstrate south the each the objects, to chamfron filigree area horse’s the gold the The with and Heuneburg. craftspeople the fibulae only on amber the working masterbuilders not techniques century, were and distant sixth architecture of information early mud-brick knowledge the goods, in and materials, that, importance masonry seems raw the with It of beyond. acquainted of (Kimmig and exchange Alps indicator century continental the one across sixth the services only the in is of Heuneburg half architecture the second of mud-brick the Mediterranean from the date that later from a imports of Mediterranean 2000 all isolated: are strangely settlement seemed the here architecture mud-brick The cuan( Schumann h eut fteecvtosa etlülas hdcmltl e ih ntehistory the on light new completely shed also Bettelbühl at excavations the of results The Archaeology series. tree-ring frequency oak middle in a signal of patterns regional Alps: the Theiss. Konrad Stuttgart: 229–48. 101): Baden-Württemberg in Frühgeschichte und Vor- zur Umlandes ihres territorialen und Fürstensitze frühkeltischer Entwicklung und Genese Zur Urbanisierungsprozesse. (ed.) Zentralisierungs- Krausse D. in aus Vorburg’, Daten Heuneburg, neuen der mit Alpen der nördlich Eisenzeit Archaeolingua. Jerem Budapest: Erzsébet 47–56. for festschrift heritage: linguistic and & (ed.) Meid Metzner-Nebelsick W. C. Bartosiewicz, in L. burials, Bánffy, Age E. Iron Anreiter, P. Early in material lithic other 10.1179/1461410313Z.00000000055 https:/www.cambridge.org/core .Tefid rmtewmnsadcidsgae rmBtebh o demonstrate now Bettelbühl from graves child’s and woman’s the from finds The ). , B. , 02 Su tns:umdfidqat and quartz unmodified stones’: ‘Soul 2012. A. 08 tn e edohoooi der Dendrochronologie der Stand 2008. 9 114–23. 19: 2015 . n,bro 8 rv 7 so pca neet h odjwleyfrom jewellery gold the interest: special of is 27, grave 68, barrow cna, ˇ https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2016.228 9–0)rcnl icse ndti hte h lge earrings filigree the whether detail in discussed recently 295–303) : FrcugnudBerichte und (Forschungen http://dx.doi.org/ rhelgcl cultural Archaeological, . Environmental Universidad AutonomadeMadrid h Klebok project ‘Keltenblock’ The Frühe : 121 Briggs Éluère lsMasi Eles Ebinger-Rist , on ooro icn ea nhs80 his on Megaw in Vincent essays of connections: honour making Europe (ed.) in Ulmschneider art K. Celtic & Crawford in S. antiquity’, Gosden, of C. relic curious very ‘A restoring Mazenod. ..Beck. C.H. München: 5). XIV, Bronzefunde (Prähistorische S) lmo University. Clemson (SC): Oxbow. Oxford: 341–55. okn ru nCharleston) in Metal Group ICOM-CC Working the of Meeting (ed.) (Interim Hull P. 2010 & Watters C. Chemello, C. Mardikian, P. in metals, archaeological of documentation for mass tool non-destructive powerful a tomography; Computed 2011. 01 Feb2017 at09:30:07 2007 , , C.S. C. , 2004. P. Schier ; 04 h or hmri rhead-piece: or chamfrein Torrs The 2014. 1986. , N. 2005 niut ulctosLd 2017 Ltd, Publications Antiquity © , ‘r e Celtes des L‘art .Peek C. efiuedl‘tlasettentrion dell‘Italia fibule Le .I hsrgr,terich the regard, this In ). 2010 , subjectto theCambridgeCore termsofuse,available , .Stelzner J. hthdotherwise had that ) ai:Ctdle & Citadelles Paris: . 4–7 Charleston 342–47. : th birthday tal. et & 2002 .Ga s s au G F. Metal 2006 35). : : . :

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