An Early La Tène find of fine metalwork from Hosty (South Bohemia): a first analysis

Abstract

This article presents a recent find which adds to our knowledge of east-west cultural exchange in the La Tène A period. In 2015, a metal detectorist discovered a hoard of four metal objects on a wooded slope in southern Bohemia near the village of Hosty, okr. České Budějovice. A preliminary examination shows these to be decorative harness- or chariot-fittings made of bronze and iron. Stylistically, their association is with the western rather than the eastern La Tène A area, and they exhibit a range of fine metal-working techniques. A concluding section of this article places the Hosty find in the context of other early fine metalwork from the region.