Iron Age Metal Hoards

Abstract

This thesis examines metalwork deposition, distribution and association in the British Early Iron Age (800-600BC) through the medium of the socketed axe. Out of 1412 known Early Iron Age axes, 954 specimens were analysed in detail for this thesis: 680 associated finds and 274 single finds. The methodology was governed by two main objectives: firstly, to propose a reworked and more comprehensive typology of Early Iron Age cast copper-alloy and wrought iron socketed axes in conjunction with their metallurgy, distribution and deposition, and secondly, to discuss their place within Early Iron Age society and what part they may have played in the people’s life, work, trade and exchange, ritual and death. As a result, this thesis introduces, defines and discusses 12 new types of transitional and Early Iron Age socketed axes. While the transitional type can be dated to the Late Bronze Age-Early Iron Age transition (c. 850-750BC), the remaining 11 types can be dated to the fully developed Early Iron Age (800-600BC). The 11 types of bronze Early Iron Age socketed axes display a great variety of decoration, shape, size, weight and colour. While Late Bronze Age axes are plain or simply ribbed, almost all Early Iron Age socketed axes are decorated with ribs-and-pellets, ribs-and-circlets or a more elaborate version thereof. Some axe have a shiny silver surface colour (Portland, Blandford, East Rudham and Hindon types). More than three quarters of Early Iron Age socketed axes were found in association with other metalwork. These hoards can be divided into two main groups: axe hoards and mixed hoards.

The eight geographical regions outlined in this thesis are defined by different contexts, associations and the predominance of different Early Iron Age axe types, and in terms of depositional contexts this research suggests that the depositional contexts of Early Iron Age hoards containing socketed axes was different from the deposition of single finds: while hoards were often found in retrievable places, single finds were not. The survival of a large number of complete and almost undamaged bronze axes suggests that in the British Early Iron Age socketed axes were not just commonplace tools that were in use until they reached the end of their life. The changes in looks and shape, and consequently the adaption of a new and improved typology of socketed axes in the British Early Iron Age were accompanied by a change in conceptualisation and the overall meaning of socketed axes.

Even when used in a different context their basic, very recognisable socketed-axe-shape was always maintained, that is a wedge of different dimensions with a socket and a small side loop for suspension or possible attachment of other items of metalwork. Throughout British prehistory axes were one of the most familiar objects in daily use: as a tool, socketed axes were omnipresent and thus an established part of British Late Bronze Age life – a life that appeared to be foremost practical rather than ritual, with the majority of Late Bronze Age socketed axes showing clear signs of use and resharpening. In the Early Iron Age socketed axes adopted a previously unseen duality in function and meaning (that is materialistic and symbolic). Thus, while Late Bronze Age axe may have been regarded as common woodworking tool, types of Early Iron Age axes were understood as ingots, weapons, or objects needed for certain displays or performances, with their unique ornaments communicating their role in both display and society as well as perhaps their users regional identity and status.

Th. Le Cozanet, dans sa contribution « Quelle méthode pour étudier les contextes de découverte des dépôts à composante métallique ? » a souligné le manque de prise en compte des contextes de découverte dans l’analyse des dépôts rituels : contextes naturels ou anthropiques, enfouis ou immergés. La mise en place d’une grille d’analyse des contextes intégrant le milieu, la taphonomie et l’environnement archéologique des dépôts lui a permis de définir plusieurs modes de dépôt et d’en révéler les évolutions chronologiques et spatiales.

The paper focuses on the topic of deposition of hoards of iron objects in the middle to late La Tène period in central Europe. It presents a catalog of published localities with the findings of such hoards and then attempts to analyze and find regularities in their manner and place of deposition and composition.

Among all the hoards consisting the ceremonial akinakai the assemblage of items discovered in 1882 near the Vettersfelde village is the most reliable. It contained richly decorated golden objects in conventional geometric and animal style. Judging by the plots presented on the objects in the animal style like a fish-shaped plaque, a clover-shaped phalera and a scabbard of a sword, they make up a solid ensemble, most likely made simultaneously in one workshop. Most scholars have dated the hoard within the framework of the late 6th — early 5th centuries BC, at the same time, among all of the objects of this set of items, the sword occupies the earliest part of the chronological range. The manufacturing of hoard items from Vettersfelde is usually associated with the Milesian colonies of the Pontic region, while for the artist certain bilingualism is documented, allowing him to use both Greek and barbaric expressive means — pairing, symmetry, repetition and antithesis, among them. Most likely, the choice of metaphors for the narrative was not accidental, and, undoubtfully was recognized both by its performer and the recipient, but the metaphor of the lion hunting deer was apparently the main one and therefore is repeated on all objects of the zoomorphic ensemble. If the localization of the hoard production is moved beyond the northern or western coast of the Black Sea, then it can be noted that the Milesian colonies of Eastern Greece can also claim the role of a source of origin for Vettersfelde hoard. In particular, according to many parameters, Cyzicus is suitable.

The subject of this study is a critical monograph of the hoard of gold coins from Gorzów near Cracow which is of essential importance for research on Celtic coinage in Poland. During 120 years since its part was unearthed and published in the 1890s, the hoard has been discussed and analysed many times, but no monograph has been dedicated to it. Preliminary research of archive material and museum collections considerably expanded the source base. A coin unknown in the previous literature was revealed and the origin of other two was put right. Dating of the find, its character and the circumstances of hiding have been revised to put forward the hypothesis about its connection with the great Cimbri migration to the south in the second half of the second century BC.

This paper presents a case of funerary re-utilisation of the Dolmen de Palacio III megalithic monument (Almadén de la Plata, Sevilla) by the Early Iron Age communities of the Sierra Norte de Sevilla region. This case is first discussed as evidence of the strong durability of religious traditions among the local populations as opposed to the dynamics of orientalising influences to which Andalusian indigenous communities are exposed since the IXth century cal BC. Secondly, this case is interpreted from the viewpoint of the powerful permanence through time of megalithic monuments as material expressions of the religious memory

Hoards of metal objects from the Bronze and Early Iron Ages (over a 1 000 known in Poland) are distinguished as one of the most enigmatic categories of archaeological finds. Systematic investigations conducted on these assemblages in recent decades present a good reference point for broadening the field of their analysis.
This affords the opportunity to apply a new methodology and consequently focus on a broader range of research issues such as the relationship between hoard deposit loci and local settlement networks, invasive and non-invasive investigations in their deposit locus, archaeometallurgical analysis, microscopic analysis of use-wear of goods constituting these assemblages.
Research therefore of this nature can broaden our knowledge on the specificity of hoard deposit loci in the cultural landscape of various regions, microhistory of such finds, specific means of utilising metal objects, their biography, nature of the phenomenon of metal object fragmentation and many other related issues. All of the aforesaid ought to lead to a better understanding of this phenomenon and consequently the culture of communities in prehistory when the deposition of metal objects in the ground and water was commonplace.
The research potential of such a methodology is illustrated by archaeological investigations conducted in recent years, among others, in Kozow/Witaszkowo, Nętno, Gdynia-Karwiny or Rosko as well as projects realised in other parts of Europe. Coming to such an understanding would appear to be very important on account of the dramatic rise in the numbers of finds, which as a rule do not bring a greater range of information than that known from the turn of the 20th century.

Cultural contact, exchange and interaction feature high in the list of challenging topics of current research on European Prehistory. Not far off is the issue of the changing role of monuments in the making and maintaining of key cultural devices such as memory and identity. Addressing both these highly debated issues from a science-based perspective, in this paper we look at an unusual case study set in southern Iberia and illustrate how these archaeological questions can benefit from robust materials science approaches. We present the contextual, morphological and analytical study of an exceptional Early Iron Age hoard composed of a number of different (and mostly exotic) materials such as amber, quartz, silver and ceramic. This hoard, found under the fallen orthostat of a megalithic structure built at least 2000 years earlier, throws new light on long-distance exchange networks and the effect they could have had on the cultural identities and social relations of local Iberian Early Iron Age communities. Moreover, the archaeometric study reveals how diverse and distant the sources of these item are (Northern Europe to Eastern and Western Mediterranean raw materials, as well as local and eastern technologies), therefore raising questions concerning the social mechanisms used to establish change and resistance in contexts of colonial encounter.

This paper considers the deposition of weapons in watery contexts in Britain and Ireland in the late Bronze Age and Iron Age (c. 1200 BC – AD 100), outlines some of the main patterns, present key discoveries, and finally compares and contrasts the different periods.

EXTENDED CALL FOR PAPERS - 19th OF MAY

The University of Bradford is proud to host the 20th Iron Age Student Research Symposium (IARSS). The symposium will be held between the 31st of May and the 2nd of June, with papers, posters and presentations, followed by a guided visit to the Hull Museum on the 3rd of June.
IARSS is a research student focused conference, providing an opportunity for students to share their work, network and collaborate with others. This event is open for contributions from postgraduate research students and new researchers, however, Master students are also welcome to submit and participate in the conference. Although IARSS is promoted as an Iron Age conference, contributions from colleagues studying or working within related periods, such as the Late Bronze Age and Roman Iron Age are also welcome. IARSS has traditionally focused on Iron Age Britain, however we welcome contributions from those colleagues examining the Iron Age elsewhere in the world, including, but not limited to, Ireland, the European continent and the Near East.

For colleagues interested in participating, please submit an abstract between c.250-300 words and 5 keywords related to your research. Presentations should be 15-20 minutes long and in English. Posters may be bilingual but they must be understandable to English speakers and an abstract in English must be provided.

Abstracts should be sent to:
iarss2017@gmail.com until the 19th of May.

Статья представляет собой первичную публикацию клада, обнаруженного у поселка Одоевские горы Спасского района Рязанской области и переданного в 2013 г. в Исторический музей. Клад включает в себя украшения одежды, прежде всего головного убора, и элементы конской упряжи – всего 231 предмет. Аналогии предметам в целом позволяют соотнести их с древностями ананьинской культурно-исторической области и датировать временем не позднее середины VII в. до н.э. Полевыми исследованиями в 2014 году выявить контекст клада не удалось, но определена возможная связь с поселением конца бронзового – начала раннего железного века Тырново 14, которое существовало примерно до VII-VI вв. до н.э. В ходе полевых исследований также выявлен археологический и антропологический материал, который свидетельствует о существовании здесь же могильника X–XI вв. с захоронениями по обряду кремации и, возможно, селища, существовавшего непродолжительное время в поздний период Средневековья.
Ключевые слова: археология, клад, ранний железный век, ананьинская культурно-историческая область, «текстильная» керамика, головной убор, конская упряжь, развитое Средневековье, кремации.

The paper is the initial publication of a hoard found near Odoevskie Gory village in the Spassky District of the Ryazan region and transferred to the State Historical Museum in 2013. The hoard includes adornments for clothing, primarily headdresses, and elements of horse equipment with a total of 231 items. General comparisons with artifacts allow the authors to correlate them with the antiquities of the Ananyino cultural and historical area and date not later than the middle of the 7th century BC. The context of the hoard was not established during the fi eld studies of 2014, but a possible connection with the Tyrnovo 14 settlement of the late Bronze – Early Iron Age was determined, which existed approximately until the 7th-6th centuries BC. In the course of fi eld studies, archaeological and anthropological material has also been identified, which indicates the presence of a burial ground of the 10th–11th centuries at the site, which featured cremation burials and, possibly, a
settlement which operated for a short period of time in the late Middle Ages.
Keywords: archaeology, hoard, Early Iron Age, Ananyino cultural and historical area, textile ceramics, headdress, horse equipment, developed Middle Ages, cremation burials.

A hoard consisting of two round  jewels and four coins from the late La Téne Period was found on the Žeravica hill (spot height 527), on the cadastre  of Stupné, district Považská Bystrica before 2009. The find extends the number  of archeological sites of the Púchov Culture, rises considerably the number of sites with coins from the La Téne Period in Slovakia and last but not least the small number sacrificial offerings consisting both of coins and round adornments made of precious metals that had been found in Europe on territories inhabited by Celtic tribes. The assemblage was most  probably ritually deposited approximately in the second or third quarter  of the 1st century  BC on a hill that had been used  for cultic  purposes since the 5th century BC. This is documented  with further finds unearthed on other locations of the site, e.g. an iron cultic axe (fig. 11), a fragment of a torque wih a depiction of human face (fig. 9), a boat-shaped  fibula (fig. 12) or two silver coins (fig. 13 and 14).

The custom of metal objects depositing in the form of hoards is characteristic of the Bronze Age. Along with its end it disappears, amongst others, in the zone associated with the Hallstatt circle. However, in some regions of Europe, hoards were still deposited in the ground and water. An example would be Pomerania and Greater Poland, where hoards of metal objects were deposited until the end of the Hallstatt D period. The disappearance of this custom had no connection with rapid changes in other spheres of culture. The processes taking place during this period were rather evolutionary in nature, despite the fact that this turning point is very clear.
Hoards are interpreted in many ways. The disappearance of custom of their deposition as well. To date in archaeology attention was paid to the dissemination of new, commonly occurring raw material, which was iron. It was also emphasized changes in the social sphere related to manifesting position by rich grave gods. Recent research on the relationship between the hoards deposition places and local settlement networks and cultural landscape, allowed to propose an entirely new manner of interpreting the practice of metal objects deposition  in the ground or water. Thus, it was possible to propose a new model of the process of this custom’s disappearance. It is based on transformations taking place in the ways of use of inhabited areas and the relationship between the communities living in this zone in the early Iron Age.

The archaeological context of the Epureni-hoard is uncertain, the proposed dating and the ethnic-cultural attribution are controversial, and the very integrity of the discovery has been challenged. The analysis of the morphology, weight, and chemical of jewelry and coins are coming to the support the following conclusions: (1) the jewelry set is the result of a single command and (2) represents a functional unit; (3) the ornaments are unitary from a stylistic point of view and technology; (4) the metering of the raw material (silver) means the use of a ponderal system based on the main weight of the Huşi-Vovrieşti coins. This conclusion implies the recognition of the synchronism of currencies and ornaments and their dating in the 3rd century B.C. By its location, by the morphology of the inventory and by the metrological relationship between jewelry and coins, the Epureni hoard integrates in a coherent manner in the peripheral acculturation area of barbaric groups to Hellenism. Non-receptive to the Macedonian pomp, the commanditaire and the creators of this hoard have amplified, in an original way, the sumptuous nature of traditional forms of ornaments.

In the midst of Godelier, Facebook and bloody forays. Several comments on metal and its availability in the Bronze and Early Iron Ages. This paper consists of several impressions on the subject of the availability of metal among communities of the Bronze and Early Iron Ages. The discussion therefore leads the reader on a journey between Oceania, the British Isles, the Bóbr River basin, Pomerania, northern Wielkopolska and the Apennine Peninsula – with the hope that the arguments advanced shall constitute an impetus towards considerations on the availability of metal in the Bronze and Early Iron Ages, as well as being a voice in the general research discussion focused around this very issue. A number of questions can therefore be posed, such as: Who had the right to possess metal tools? Were differences in the frequency of metal objects, especially those out of copper and its alloys in various regions of the continent, a testimony to a community’s access to a network of exchange? Or were perhaps the intensive contacts initiated because of the desire and possibility to make use of metal? Was bronze in fact so rare that some communities did not have the means to acquire it, or were lower amounts in this context associated with cultural norms, or in fact ones that limited its exploitation?

The article presents a new iron artifact hoard, discovered in the „Kozince“
forest track at the Břestek cadastral area (Uherské Hradiště district). The main objective is the evaluation of new hoard in chronologically and typological terms and put into the context of the La Tène period settlement structure in the area of Chřiby and their foothills. Hoard Břestek I contained four iron artifacts, including a group of woodworking tools, agricultural tools, and household equipment. Among the artifacts was determined an iron axe with an unsealed socket of rounded rectangular cross-section and a fan-shaped blade (Fig. 4:1), a smaller axe with oval to almost round cross-section (Fig. 4:2), a long iron ploughshare with unsealed oval socket (Fig. 4:3) and a knife with a slightly arched handle ending with a thorn shaped into a circle (Fig. 4:4). The hoard was stored in a relatively small and shallow pit with a diameter of 35 cm and a maximum depth of 30 cm (Fig. 2:A). All tools show working signs, indicating that they were commonly used. Therefore, artifacts have not been produced solely for the purpose of thesaurations. From a chronological point of view, the hoard is dated to the Late La Tène Period (LT C2 - LT d). due to the location of the find without evidence of stable settlements, in addition to the communication and the river strand link, it is possible to interpret the hoard as a votive deposit interpreted (cf. KURZ 1995; VENCLOVÁ et al., 2008, 93-94). The newly discovered hoard could be probably related to the La Tène settlement on the nearby „Modla“ hillfort near Buchlovice, from which the same dated three iron hoards comes from (ČÍŽMÁŘ 2014).