Zum frühlatènezeitlichen Grab 994 mit figural verzierter Schwertscheide von Hallstatt (Oberösterreich)

Abstract

On the Early La Tène grave 994 containing a sheath with figural decoration from Hallstatt (Upper Austria) This is a new presentation of the Early La Tène grave 994 from Hallstatt already published in 1875, which for a first time offers a complete documentation of the preserved grave-goods. The  inventory comprises an iron helmet of type Berru, three lanceheads, a sword with a sheath of iron and bronze, a bronze straining funnel, an iron slashing knife and at least one bronze bow of a belt and characterises the  deceased as a distinguished warrior and host of feasts.
The centre of the contribution is the detailed analysis of the sheath with bronze front bearing a figural ornament, and bronze chape. A more precise classification of chapes was produced here and the scenic representation
was re-interpreted. A group of horsemen attacks foot soldiers and kills one of them. There is also a group of two people holding a wheel which is found twice on the sheath and a wrestling scene. All three motifs are believed to go back to mythological sources. They have long traditions – parallels are found in the Late La Tène decorations of the Gundestrup cauldron. However, the engraved scenes are unique and can only to a limited extent be understood in the context of the decorations of the situla style. The details of the representations are an important source for the reconstruction of the garment – with crakowes (keine bessere Übersetzung gefunden), trousers, overclothes, but also for the hairstyle and the armament. The bronze straining funnel is a local product; its long nozzle closed with a soldered weld, indicates its function as filling closed vessels, for instance jugs, i.e. in the context of a complicated banquet. This idea results from extensive relations with the Etruscan culture. As the straining funnel is interpreted as representative for a set of bronze tableware it characterises the deceased as a host of banquets. The furnishing of grave 994 presents the warrior who is buried here as somebody who follows the  La Tène culture. There are numerous comparable finds on the Dürrnberg at Hallein. In period Lt A mining in Hallstatt had not finished – further graves are to be expected on the edges of the old excavation area. In grave 994 we meet a protagonist of the Early La Tène salt mining in Hallstatt.

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