35512 P1200411 (2)

SWORDS. WAGON-GRAYES. AND THE BEGINNING OF THE EARLY IRON AGE IN CENTRAL EUROPE*

This articlc sets out to clarify the chronołogical position of the earlicst graves of the Hallstatt period in Central Europę¹. The rcsult of the study is to assagn a number of finds to a chronological horizon at the start of the Hallstatt period, before the classk Ha Cl phase defined by G. Kossack (Kossack 1954: 1957; 1959). Since the 1950s. Ha Cl has been taken to mark the start of the Hallstatt period, which makes our new relatrie chronołogy somewhat contentious.

This rcsearch was prompted by the wagon-grave from Wehringen. *He\enbergle'. tumulus 8 (Krcis Augsburg), which seems earlier than the well-known graves with wagons and horse-gear of Ha C1. It is possible to show that. in its chronological position between the end of the Umfield period and the start of Ha Cl. the wagon-grave from Wehringen did not stand in isolation. In particułar, the graves from Chaveria tumulus 16 and Lengenfeld tumulus I of 1894 \ each containing harness for paired horses. must be broadly contcmporary with Wehringen. Furthermore. ii is suggested that swords of the Gfrndlingen type are particulariy charactensbc of this horizon. and are generaBy earlier than the Mindełheim swords and typical rich horse-gear of Ha Cl.

Whereas che early chronological position of the Wehringen. Chav6ria and Lengenfeld graves seems quite erident. the same cannot be said for the Gundlingen swords. These swords and their associations ha\e therefore been anałysed in some detafl. under the fol* lowing hcadings: 1 Swords. 2 Chapcs. 3 Horse-Gear. 4 Razors. 5 Axes. 6 Spcarheads. 7 The Nordic Zonę. 8 Pottery.

Wehringen tumulus 8 was excavated by the Bayerisches Landesamt fur Denkmałpflege. Augsburg, in 1%1 (Krahe 1963. 100-101: Chrisdem and Braasch 1982, S9-92L The

tumulus covered a central woodengrave chainberconraining a errmirioaproridcd willi

a bronie Gundlingen sword and chape. a goW sheet cap with embossed decmoan. 21 pottery \ts»Is and numerous bronie fittings from a four-whcelcd wagon (F%5 1-3L The wagon fittings are quite unique in the Hallstatt period: they briongtothe so-calkd Bad Homburg type of hronze wagon fittings which are ótherwise ordy known from lale Umfield contexts (Parę 19S7T The wagon from this gnoe. without iron tyres and with bronie fittings typical of the Umfield period, stands m start contrast to the types of wagon which are typical of Ha C and D. These are. in aknost e%ery cast. prorided with tron tyres and bronie and iron navc-fittingsof recognisafefc. hurty iifnrm rypes. whkfe ha\e been found o\er much of Central Europę tPare fartheonungt

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