Anthropological Analysis of Celtic Graves from Brežice and Dobova (Slovenia)
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Zdravka Hincak, Mitja Guštin Anthropological analysis of Celtic graves from Brežice and Dobova (Slovenia) Zdravka HINCAK, MITJA GUŠTIN The discovery of ancient cultures in the Krško more than 420 graves with cremated human remains field began with intense excavations of Late Iron Age from the Late Bronze Age (Urnfield culture), while tumuli at the end of 19th century (Velike Malence, several old Slavic inhumation graves were found at Libna, Sajevce). Individual objects from the La Tène the location ‘Na gomilicah’ during a ten-year period, period, i.e. of Celtic provenience, were discovered at from 1951 to 1961 (F. Stare 1974). Numerous graves hillforts like Stari Grad above Podbočje and Dunaj with cremated human remains from the Roman period above Krško, but also among the graves from Velike were researched by Peter Petru in 1961 in the vicinity of Malence. The post-World War II period saw a distinct the abovementioned Urnfield culture necropolis, while rise in archaeological excavations with the founding of a well, part of a Roman settlement, was discovered the Museum of the Posavje Region in Brežice in 1947. A during gravel-digging in 1975. Francè Stare excavated year later, in 1948, the museum received the first Celtic some test trenches in the adjacent Sela and discovered graves from Brežice at the ‘Sejmišče’ location and other some skeletal graves with grave goods from the Early neighbouring sites: Dobova, Veliko Mraševo, Žadovinek Middle Age. near Krško, and the most recent Čateški grič, researched The first graves of the Celtic necropolis were dis- during a three-year campaign from 2000 to 2003. covered in 1962 and 1966 in the field called ‘Kosovka’, The Dobova plain with its numerous archaeological property of Jože Bosina and Jože Vogrinc, during the sites encircles a gravel terrace between the rivers Sava construction of outbuildings, i.e. during the digging of and Sotla, with the area of Brežice being the point of gravel at the northern edge of Dobova near the road narrowest passage from the pre-Alpine region to the towards the village Veliki Obrež, less than a kilometer Pannonian plain. The settlement continuity is dem- from the cemeteries ‘Na Gomilicah’ and Sela. onstrated by a vast necropolis from the Late Bronze Of the seven unearthed graves two were subse- Age, a Celtic cemetery, Roman period housing remains quently deposited in the Museum of the Posavje Re- with cremated and inhumation graves, and old Slavic gion. Due to the precious grave goods, the exceptional inhumation burials. preservation of their iron items and ornaments, they The first archaeological finds (bronze items from are both considered exceptional in the inventory of the the Dobova area) appeared in 1950 during construction Celtic material culture in Slovenia. Stanko Škaler also work on the railway embankment Dobova – Kumrovec reported on random Celtic findings in 1968 – La Tène and gravel-digging in the Dobova plain. period spearheads from Anton Blažinič’s gravel pit in Although the cemetery was already partly dam- Rigonce and a La Tène period long sword found in the aged, Francè Stare lead the excavations uncovering gravel pit on plot 804 c.p. Veliki Obrež. 241 Zdravka Hincak, Mitja Guštin During 1979 and 1980 sistematic excavations by vicinity, presuming a continuous colonisation with a Mitja Guštin for the Museum of the Posavje Region settlement corresponding to the Celtic necropolis at were carried out in the field ‘Kosovka’, in the vicin- the former bedn of the river Sava. ity of Jože Bosina’s house. 25 graves with cremated The first grave with cremated human remains was human remains were found on this site, all dated to unearthed during the construction of a veterinary sta- the 3rd and the 2nd centuries BC. Some warrior graves tion in 1948, and another during the main plumbing with swords and several female graves were published, renovation in 1954. Due to the scheduled earthworks while a monograph publication of the graves is still in on the site, the Museum of the Posavje Region car- preparation. ried out extensive archaeological rescue excavations, Oval or round grave pits found only 0.3 m under the directed by Mitja Guštin, in the summer of 1981 and surface were buried in the gravel foundation. Warrior the spring of 1982 when 60 new graves were found. graves with equipment were buried between 50 and 140 New excavations took place in 1997 (directed by Alenka cm deep; weapons, especially swords, were purposely Jovanović) with 11 new graves revealed, and in the bent and damaged, with traces of fire. Grave goods spring of 2011 with 30 more graves. from female and child graves were more modest and Graves no. 1, 2, 6, 49 and 55 were published, Alenka their grave pits shallower (30-70 cm). The cremated Jovanović elaborated the scientific discoveries until remains of deceased persons were placed at the bottom the year 1997 in an exhibition catalogue (Jovanović of the pits (maybe in a sack), with pieces of jewellery A. 2007) and in her masters thesis entitled The Celts (fibulae, bracelets, rings), accessories (fibulae, belt in the Posavje Region (Jovanović A. 2006). rings, razors, knifes), arms and ceramic vessels ap- The oval or round grave pits were mostly buried in pearing as grave goods. the river gravel, very exceptionally in the thick humus The research revealed a double grave of a male layer which was 0.7 m thick in certain parts because and female person (grave 5), and a triple burial of a of the embankment. woman, man and child (grave 10). During the excava- The iron parts from a two-wheeled warrior cart were tion it was noticed that specific objects were laid or an exceptional discovery at the site (Guštin, 1984b). wrapped in textile, the traces of which could still be seen Personal equipment and elements of the cart were bent on the surface of some objects. The grave goods often and placed at the bottom of the grave pit, together with included a set of three vessels made of fine grey fired the charred bones of an adult male person and animal clay; frequent findings are biconic vessels with wide bone fragments. Their mixing indicates that the deceased orifice, as well as biconic pots and cups. Grave goods - the driver was probably burnt while on the cart. also included animal remains, mostly represented by This paper compares the anthropological find- the right forefoot and the right lower jaw of a domestic ings from two Iron Age sites, i.e. Brežice-Sejmišče pig (Sus scrofa domestica, L.) and by the bones of a and Dobova - Kosovka, partially also amending the hen (Gallus gallus, L.). old analyses with new results and information. New Male graves no. 1, 2, 6 and 10 belong to the Lt methods include the microscopic determination of age C1 period. Lt C2 period graves are the grave of a at death and sex. Only a complete anthropological and male person no. 23, the grave of a female person no. demographic analysis, together with analyses of ani- 26, and the double grave 5. The Lt D1 period and the mal remains appearing as grave goods, enables us to termination of burials are represented by the female understand and explore the living conditions, customs graves no. 15 and 22. and events during this period. The Celtic cemetery at the ‘Sejmišče’ location in Brežice lies at the bottom of two gravel terraces Methods above the left bank of the river Sava, not far from its Morphometrical and morphological analyses of cre- confluence with the river Krka. Traces of Bronze Age mated human remains were undertaken by a procedure and Early Iron Age settlement were documented in the that is partially applicable to analyses of inhumation 242 Zdravka Hincak, Mitja Guštin burials (Bass, 2004; Ferenbacher et al., 1980; Scheuer Results et al, 2000) for the material from Brežice - Sejmišče. Temperature range for each grave specimen was The Celtic necropolis in Brežice-Sejmišče determined (Schmidt 2008; Walker et al. 2008) ac- The cremated bones recovered from 68 cremation cording to the specific colour expressed by Munsell graves from Brežice-Sejmišče were examined for designation (2000) for both sides. identifiable bone fragments. The complete filling of Estimation of sex and age at the time of death for a the grave pits (100 % specimen) was processed under person was completed by modified microscopic method flotation procedure and each specimen was marked. by Kerley (1965; 1968) and for the majority of graves After measuring the total weight of specimens and by using the regression formula. All calcified samples, each burnt specimen separately, human samples were i.e. specimens burnt at temperatures exceeding 900°C separated from animal ones for each grave. Sex and were excluded from the selection of the most suitable age at death for each person were estimated by macro- fragments of femoral diaphyses. The further selection of scopic determination of human osteological remains. samples suitable for microscopic preparation includes The results mostly depend on the degree of sample the measurements of long bone thickness (Kleppinger, preservation and procedure for determining human 2006; Schmidt, 2008). Femoral bone specimens were remains (Ferembach et al. 1980). then sectioned on a precision cut-off machine ‘Mini- The average mass of burnt human remains is be- tom’ (Struers, Denmark) and polished on Labopol-1 tween 300 and 400 g. (Struers) before being fixed on a microscope slide. In cases of heavier fragmentation or calcified sam- By involving microscopic analysis and using electron ples due to high temperatures, it was not possible to microscopy in research it was possible to determinate determine age at death of a person more precisely, the sex for 30 samples.