• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

ZALAI MÚZEUM 14 2005 Horváth László Grave of a Celtic warrior from Magyarszerdahely (Zala County) Between 1971 and 1975, 28 Celtic and 34 Roman that the objects were wrapped in the textile. The soil graves were unearthed in Magyarszerdahely, close to a with the bone fragments and the metal finds was ashy former sandpit. The results of the excavation were and charcoaly and might have been the remains of published in 1979 (HORVÁTH 1979). Celtic Corpus bonfire. Three pots were also found in the grave, contains only partial results of the excavation placed diagonally in one line. (HORVÁTH 1979, 84-96, Pl. X-XIII; PL XIV, 10-12) because at the time of publication assessment of finds 1. Fibula (Fig. 3, 1): Made of iron, heavily corroded had not been finished. The western part of the former and broken into several pieces. The foot was bolted sandpit still exists. Within that area runs a telephone backwards and decorated with one small and one cable in NW-SE direction. At the time of the exca­ larger spherical boss. The bosses are decorated with vation it was not possible to excavate the western part concave half-spherical impressions. Between the two of the sandpit precisely because of the telephone cable. bosses and at the end of the foot are small knobs. The In 1984 within the area a pit was dug to gain sand. In edges of these small knobs are rimmed. The foot is the wall of the pit a Celtic vessel was found with bolted towards the bow. Its spring is upper corded with stamped decoration. The find was reported to the 2-2 division of the spring. Length: 16,2 cm. György Thúry Museum and a rescue excavation was 2. Fibula fragment (Fig. 3, 2): Foot and bow launched to recover the disturbed archaeological fragment of an iron fibula. Its foot is decorated with a feature. The excavation revealed a scattered Celtic spherical boss. Length: 2,8 cm. cremation in a pit. With this grave the excavated 3. Iron sword with its sheath (Fig. 3, За-b; Fig. 6, number of Celtic burials from this site increased to 29. la-b): The sword was enfolded three times prior to The grave was given a number 63 (Fig. 1). The burial burial. It is heavily corroded and its end and parts of produced an iron sword in its sheath and iron fibulae the sheath are missing. The reconstructed length of the that have already been published (SZABÓ-PETRES sword is 85,5 cm including the 12,3 cm long hilt. The 1992, 95, PL 51). However the circumstances of the widest part of the sword is 4,4 cm while the widest part finds have not been reported upon and the other grave of the sheath is 5 cm. The hilt has two oval iron discs goods were also inaccurately published. The illus­ which indicate that the handle was made of organic tration of complete grave goods with a short summary material and oval in cross section. The shoulder of the of the circumstances of the find appeard in print, sword where the hilt and blade meet has a step like although it is hard to access (HORVÁTH 1994, 108, edge. The front of the sheath exhibits carved sym­ 13-15. kép). This paper assesses the available infor­ metrical motifes that are characteristic to „Hungarian mation on the burial and discusses its archaeological sword style". The back of the sheath has a T-shaped and historical context. suspension loop. The upper part of the back of the sheath and the suspension loop are also decorated with Description of the grave and grave goods carved motifes. The decorations are heavily corroded and their shape is not always clear; the drawings are The eastern side of the round-cornered rectangular considered to be reconstructions. The end of the sheath 1 grave was destroyed by works to mine sand. The grave is missing. was 135 x 110 cm and 150 cm deep. The metal goods, 4. Shield boss and fragments of shield frame (Fig. which were in a heap with ash and bone-fragments, 4, 1-2; Fig. 6, 3): The shield boss is raised and forms were found in the northern part of the grave. There was an elongated band. The band is pierced and profiled; also a razor with remains of textile on it, indicating the profiling is reminiscent of wings. The two ends of 62 Horváth László the band are folded. Both ends of the shield boss were warriors. These two graves also belong to this group. attached to the shield by three bolts. The remains of It is considered that the four groups of burials may rep­ two bolts were also found in the grave. The shield was resent burial grounds of small families (HORVÁTH most probably made of wood because inside the frame 1979, 48, 52, Pic. 15). Many examples indicate the remains of wood could be observed. The drawing existence of grave groups from cemeteries of similar shows the lay out of the band. Length: 47,7 cm, width: period. The graves are often found in clusters forming 5-6 cm. rows or groups. This patterning may be explained by 5. Scissors (Fig. 4, 3): Made of iron and heavily kinship or social status of the dead.3 corroded. One point is missing. Length: 27,6 cm. From the Celtic cemetery of Magyarszerdahely 6. Razor (Fig. 4, 4; Fig. 6, 2): Made of iron with a only two warrior graves (30 and 63) were excavated by wide blade. It has a short handle which ends in a small an expert. Scattered finds of a sword and spear heads spherical knob. One side of the razor has textile found within the territory of the cemetery suggest that remains on it. Length: 13,4 cm, width: 4,8 cm. there may have been more warrior burials in the 7. Sharpening stone (Fig. 5, 1): Made from sand cemetery than could be revealed by archaeologists.4 If stone and rectangular in section. Length: 9,5 cm, one takes the stray finds into consideration, that may width: 3cm. have belonged to warriors, the proportion of warriors 8. Spear head (Fig. 4, 5): Made of iron in the shape still remains relatively low in the cemetery, comprising of a willow leaf. Along the middle a sharp edge runs 8%. In grave 63 all the equipment that he used in life towards its socket. In the socket there are two holes. was placed in the grave. The finds include a sword, The end of the spear is folded. Reconstructed length: spear, shield and beauty equipment such as scissors, 23 cm, width: 3,3 cm. razor and sharpening stone. The fibulae were probably 9. Stamp-decorated vessel (Figures 5, 2a-b; Fig. 7). part of clothing. Even though vessels were also placed Dark grey wheeled pottery. Its opening was damaged in the grave they did not contain animal bones. It may during sand exploitation. A cordon on the shoulder is be assumed that only liquid was provided for the dead stamped symmetrically with crescent-shaped and for the afterlife. Regarding the combination of grave angled dotted lines. The two types of decorations goods, many well known analogies can be listed. alternate each other forming 3-3 clusters. Below this Similar combinations of grave goods can be found there is a horizontal line of dotted circle decoration within all the eastern Celtic territory from the second which does not form a continous line around the cir­ half of LT-B, although such combinations became cumference of the vessel but is symmetrically more characteristic during LT-C (LORENZ 1978, 234; 5 arranged in three groups. Height: 38,4 cm, orifice GUSTIN 1984, 316, Abb. 4, 5). Jozef Bujna assessed diameter: 14 cm, base diameter: 14,5 cm. the sociography of available Celtic cemeteries in the 10. Bowl (Fig. 5, 3). Dark grey omphalic bowl with Carpathian Basin until 1980. He distinguished five burnished surface. Height: 10 cm, orifice diameter: groups according to region and the richness of burials. 24,4 cm, base diameter: 10,1 cm. Had he known the cemetery of Magyarszerdahely he 11. Mug (Fig. 5, 4). Dark grey mug made from well would have placed this cemetery to region "H" (North levigated clay. Its profile exhibits sudden changes in of former Yugoslavia, southern Transdanubia). Bujna curvature. Height: 11,5 cm, orifice diameter: 16,4 cm, assessed the material culture of 910 burials, con­ base diameter: 7,6 cm. sidering their geographical position and the number and type of grave goods. Furthermore, in his catego­ Discussion rization he also considered possible differences between LT-B1 and LT-C lb. Although his data was not Assessment of the Celtic burials within the complete his views are still valid in many respects. cemetery revealed that they were situated in four Grave 63 in Magyarszerdahely belongs to the first clearly distinguishable groups. The above discussed groups of burials within this cemetery, characterised burial (grave 63) belongs to the first group. The char­ mainly by grave goods of weapons and pottery. Accor­ acteristics of this group are that ceramic vessels were ding to Bujna the number of graves with weapons within region "H" reaches its peak (40%) during LT- placed in the graves and the cremated bones were 6 carefully placed in the graves in small piles, possibly Cla and LT-C lb. This period of Celtic history is cha­ wrapped in a small piece of textile.2 This group of racterised mainly by expansion and, at a certain level, graves contained the richest finds of the cemetery and by settlement and consolidation (BUJNA 1982, 411).

Load more

  14

Copy Link