Geweih! – Geweiht? Deponierungen von Hirschgeweihen und Hirschdarstellungen in Brunnen und Schächten der vorrömischen Eisenzeit Mitteleuropas

Abstract

Generally image representations are rare in prehistoric times but a few subjects appear regularly. The deer is also among. La Tène period pit deposits show that the deer has a prominent role in this context. The deer is represented as a figural illustration on deposited vessels, as sculpture, but also as deposit of antlers or animals, therefore represented in a pictorially and materially form.
In contrast to anthropomorphic sculptures, which can be categorized on the basis of inscriptions in roman times to certain gods, the importance of zoomorphic representations can difficultly be inferred. Nevertheless some features, both the sculpture itself and its context, suggest that it is specifically for the La Tène deer representations to be the epiphany of a divinity, which appearance transforms itself from a zoomorphic idea to a hybrid of man and deer. Findings from the roman period show in form of antlers deposit in pits parallels between features of La Tène and roman period.