Ritualizing Helmets – Symbolic Protocol of the Iron Age in Dolenjska
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21301/eap.v13i3.9Keywords:
Novo Mesto, Iron Age, Illyrian helmets, ritual, ritualizationAbstract
The ritualization of helmets, along with fragmentation and hybridization, is a well-known fact in the wider area of South-Eastern Europe. It is apparent on the numerous examples of the helmets of the Illyrian type, interpreted in various contexts, for various purposes and in different ways. In the territory of Dolenjska (Slovenia), two Illyrian helmets of the type III A found in the grave VII/19 at Kapiteljska njiva in Novo Mesto present an exception. This is an exclusive double interment of the Eastern Alps region, both concerning its size and funerary construction, and the offerings consisting of warrior’s and equestrian equipment, ornaments and personal items, along with a set of bronze vessels and the first example of helmets of the Illyrian type among the communities of the Late Hallstatt circle in Dolenjska. The context of the grave may be dated into the second half of the 5th century and the beginning of the 4th century BC. The very choice of luxurious objects points to the state of the deceased and their immediate surrounding, ascribing to themselves the power (military, political, economic, ideological) through the practice of massive destruction during funerals. Such ritualization, deliberate destruction or damaging of objects became the ritual practice. As the “sacrifices” of an unique ritual protocol, the deliberate and violent ritualizations became a medium, and the symbolic manipulation of “cultural” proofs was a reflection of social dimensions of the living, i.e. precisely the communities of the Dolenjska Hallstatt society at its eastern frontiers.
Downloads
References
Alexandridou, A. 2013. “ Destructions at the grave Ritual Burning and Breaking in 7th-century BC Attica”. In Destruction: Archaeological, Philological and Historical Perspectives, Actes du Colloque organise par le Cema, Centre D', ed. J. Driessen: 271–286. Louvain-la-Neuve: Presses universitaires de Louvain.
Babić, S. 2004. Poglavarstvo i polis. Starije gvozdeno doba centralnog Balkana i grčki svet. Posebna Izdanja Srpske akademije nauka i umetnosti 81. Beograd: Balkanološki institut.
Balen-Letunić, D. 1992. Nalaz ratničke opreme iz Krka. Vjesnik Arheološkog muzeja u Zagrebu 24-25: 21–34.
Bell, C. 2009. Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Blečić, M. 2007. Status, symbols, sacrifices, offerings. The diverse meaning of Illyrian helmet. Vjesnik Arheološkog muzeja u Zagrebu XL: 73–116.
Blečić Kavur, M. 2010. The Iron Age at Kvarner Region, Doctoral dissertation. Ljubljana: Univerza v Ljubljani.
– – –. 2014. Na razmeđu svjetova za prijelaza milenija: kasno brončano doba na Kvarneru = At the crossroads of worlds at the turn of the millennium: the Late Bronze Age in the Kvarner region. Katalozi i monografije Arheološkog muzeja u Zagrebu 11. Zagreb: Arheološki muzej u Zagrebu.
– – –. 2015. Povezanost perspektive: Osor u kulturnim kontaktima mlađeg željeznog doba = A coherence of perspective: Osor in cultural contacts during the Late Iron Age. Koper – Mali Lošinj: University of Primorska Press – Lošinjski muzej.
– – –. 2017. Ilirske kacige iz Crne Gore = Illyrian helmets from Montenegro. Nova antička Duklja VIII: 31–57.
Blečić Kavur, M., A. Pravidur. 2012. Ilirske kacige s područja Bosne i Hercegovine = Illyrian helmets from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Glasnik Zemaljskog muzeja Bosne i Hercegovine u Sarajevu 53: 35–136.
Blečić Kavur, M., B. Kavur. 2016. “Pars pro toto. A World in a small place – The example of Iron Age grave goods from Vičja luka”. In Funerary practices during the Bronze and Iron Ages in Central and Southeast Europe. Proceedings of the 14th International Colloquiumof Funerary Archaeology in Čačak, Serbia, 24th–27th September 2015, eds.V. Sirbu, M. Jevtić, K. Dmitrović, M. Ljuština: 237–256. Beograd i Čačak: University of Belgrade – National museum Čačak.
Božič, D. 2011. „Prazgodovinske najdbe s Tonovcovega gradu in železnodobna kultna mesta v Posočju“. In: Poznoantična utrjena naselbina Tonovcov grad pri Kobaridu. Najdbe. / Late Antique fortified settlement Tonovcov grad near Kobarid. Finds, eds. Z. Modrijan, T. Milavec, 239–277. Opera Instituti Archaeologici Sloveniae 24. Ljubljana: Inštitut za arheologijo ZRC SAZU.
Bradley, R. 1982. The Destruction of Wealth in Later Prehistory. Man 17(1): 108–122.
– – –. 2005. Ritual and domestic life in prehistoric Europe. London and New York: Routledge.
– – –. 2013. “ Hoards and the Deposition of Metalwork”. In The Oxford Handbook of the European Bronze Age, eds. H. Fokkens, A. Harding, 121–139. Oxford: Oxford Handbooks.
Chapman, J. 2000. Fragmentation in Archaeology: People, Places, and Broken Objects. London: Routledge.
Chapman, R. 2003. Death, society and archaeology: the social dimensions of mortuary practices. Mortality 8(3): 305–312.
Driessen, J. 2013. “ Time Capsules? Destructions as Archaeological Phenomena”. In Destruction: Archaeological, Philological and Historical Perspectives, Actes du Colloque organise par le Cema, Centre D', ed. J. Driessen: 5–22. Louvain-la-Neuve: Presses universitaires de Louvain.
Dular, J. 1999. „Železna doba – Bojevniki“. In Zakladi tisočletij. Zgodovina Slovenije od neandertalcev do Slovanov, eds. D. Božič, J. Dular, 143–146. Ljubljana: Modrijan.
– – –. 2003. Halštatske nekropole Dolenjske = Die hallstattzeitlichen nekropolen in Dolenjsko. Opera Instituti Archeologici Sloveniae 6. Ljubljana: Inštitut za arheologijo ZRC SAZU.
Dular, J., S. Tecco Hvala. 2007. South-Eastern Slovenia in th Early Iron Age = Jugovzhodna Slovenija v starejši železni dobi. Opera Instituti Archaeologici Sloveniae 12. Ljubljana: Inštitut za arheologijo ZRC SAZU.
Egg, M. 1986. Italische Helme. Studien zu den ältereisenzetlichen Helmen Italiens und der Alpen. Monographien des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums 11. Mainz: Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums.
– – –. 1999. Waffenbrüder? Eine ungewöhnliche Bestattung der Frühlatènezeit in Novo mesto in Slowenien. Jahrbuch des Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum 46: 317–356.
– – –. 2012. „Der Helmfund von Negau – Ženjak in Slowenien“. In Waffen für die Götter: Krieger, Trophäen, Heiligtümer, ed. W. Meighörner: 148–151. Innsbruck: Tiroler Landesmuseum.
Ekroth, G. 2002. The sacrificial rituals of Greek hero-cults in the Archaic to the early Hellenistic periods. Kernos Suppléments, Liège: Centre International d’Étude de la Religion Grecque Antique.
Gabrovec, S. 1999. 50 Jahre Archäologie der älteren Eisenzeit in Slowenien. Arheološki vestnik 50: 145–188.
Godelier, M. 1999. The Enigma of the Gift. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Guštin, M. 1976. Libna. Knjiga 3. Brežice: Posavski muzej Brežice.
Hansen, S. 2005. „Über bronzezeitliche Horte in Ungarn – Horte als soziale Praxis“. In Interpretationsraum Bronzezeit. Bernhard Hänsel von seinen Schülern gewidmet, eds. B. Horejs, R. Jung, E. Kaiser, B. Teržan, 211–230. Universitätsforschungen zur prähistorischen Archäologie 121. Bonn: R. Habelt.
– – –. 2016. “A short History of Fragments in Hoards of the Bronze Age”. In Materielle Kultur und Identität im Spannungsfeld zwischen mediterraner Welt und Mitteleuropa, Akten der Internationalen Tagung am Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseum Mainz, 22.-24. Oktober 2014 Abschlusstagung des DFG-Projekts „Metallfunde als Zeugnis für die Interaktion zwischen Griechen und Indigenen auf Sizilien zwischen dem 8. und 5. Jahrhundert v. Chr., ed. H. Baitinger: 185–208. Mainz: Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums.
Insoll, T. 2011 (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Ritual and Religion. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Knappett, C. 2011. An Archaeology of Interaction. Network Perspectives on Material Culture & Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Knez, T. 1986. Novo mesto I: Halštatski grobovi. Carniola Archaeologica 1. Novo mesto: Dolenjski Muzej.
Koch, L. 2012. „Das Bild des Hundes in der Situlenkunst und verwandter Denkmäler“. In Menschen – Hunde – Artefakte: Gedenkschrift für Gretel Gallay/Callesen, eds. H. Lasch, B. Ramminger, 1–15. Internationale Archäologie, Studia honoraria 32. Rahden-Westfen: Verlag Marie Leidorf.
Križ, B. 1997. Kapitaljska njiva – Novo mesto. Novo mesto: Dolenjski Muzej.
– – –. 2004. “La Slovenia nella tarda età hallstattiana”. In Guerrieri, Principi ed Eroi fra il Danubio e il Po della Preistoria all'Alto Medioevo, eds. P. Gleischer, F. Marzatico: 421–427. Trento: Museo Castello Buonconsiglio.
– – –. 2012. Odsevi prazgodovine v bronu – Situlska umetnost Novega mesta = Reflections of Prehistory in Bronze – Tihe Situla Art of Novo mesto. Novo mesto: Dolenjski Muzej.
Križ, B., P. Stipančić, A. Škedelj Petrič. 2009. Arheološka podoba Dolenjske = The Archaeological Image of Dolenjska. Novo mesto: Dolenjski Muzej.
Kuzmanović, Z. 2017. Diskontinuitet posmrtnih rituala u mlađoj praistoriji centralnog Balkana. Etnoantropološki problemi 12/3: 725–748.
Medeleţ, F., Cedică, V. 2004. Coiful Greco-Ilir de la Găvojdia (Jud. Timiş). Analele Banatului X-XI: 97–100.
Mihovilić, K. 2013. Histri u Istri = The Histri in Istria. Monografije i katalozi 23. Pula: Arheološki muzej Istre.
Morris, I. 1990. Burial and Ancient Society: The Rise of the Greek City-State. New Studies in Archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Nebelsick, L. 2000. “Rent asunder: Ritual violence in Late Bronze Age hoards”. In Metals Make the World Go Round. The Supply and Circulation of Metals in Bronze Age Europe, ed. C.F.E. Pare, 160–175. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Nilsson Stutz, L. 2008. “ More than Metaphor: Approaching the Human Cadaver in Archaeology”. In The Materiality of Death: Bodies, Burials, Beliefs, eds. F. Fahlander, T. Østigaard, 19–28. BAR International Series 1768, Oxford: Archaeopress.
– – –. 2010. The Way We Bury Our Dead. Reflections on ritual practice and community at the time of the Mesolithic – Neolithic transition. Documenta Praehistorica XXXVII: 33–42.
Parker Pearsons, M. 1999. The Archaeology of Death and Burial. Sutton: Stroud.
Pflug, H. 1988. „Illyrische Helme“. In Antike Helme. Sammlung Lipperheide und andere Bestände des Antikenmuseums Berlin, A. Bottini et al., 42–64. Monographien des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums 14. Mainz: Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseum.
Reinicke, P. 1950. Der Negauer Helmfund. Bericht der Römisch-germanischen Kommission 32/(1942)1950: 117–198.
Sannibale, M. 2008. La Raccolta Giacinto Guglielmi. Parte II. Bronzi e materiali vari. Museo Gregoriano Etrusco, Cataloghi, 4/2. Roma: L’Erma di Bretschneider.
Sîrbu, V. 2012. Le casque gréco-illyrien a représentations figuratives (VIe – Ve siècles av. J.-C.) de Găvojdia, dep. De Timiş. Analele Banatului XX: 33–56.
Tecco Hvala, S. 2012. Magdalenska gora. Družbena struktura in grobni rituali železnodobne skupnosti = Social structure and burial rites of the Iron Age community. Opera Instituti Archaeologici Sloveniae 26. Ljubljana: Inštitut za arheologijo ZRC SAZU.
Teržan, B. 1976. Certoška fibula. Arheološki vestnik 27: 317–536.
– – –. 1977. „O horizontu bojevniških grobov med Padom in Donavo v 5. in 4. stol. pr. n. št.“ In Keltske študije, ed. M. Guštin, 9–21. Knjiga 4. Brežice: Posavski muzej Brežice.
– – –.1995. „Handel und sozialen Oberschichten im früheisenzetlichen Südosteuropa“. In Handel, Tausch und Verkehr im bronze- und früheisenzeitlichen Südosteuropa, ed. B. Hänsel, 81–159. Südosteuropa Schriften 17, Prähistorische Archäologie in Südosteuropa 11. München – Berlin: Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft.
– – –. 1997. „Heros der Hallstattzeit. Beobachtungen zum Status an Gräbern um das Caput Adriae“. In Χρόνος – Beiträge zur prähistorischen Archäologie zwischen Nord- und Südosteuropa. Festschrift für Bernhard Hänsel, eds. C. Becker, M. L Dunkelmann, C. Metzner-Nebelsick, H. Peter-Röcher, M. Roeder, B. Teržan, 653–669. Espelkamp 1997: Vlg Marie Leidorf.
– – –. 2008. „Stiške skice“. In Stična II/2, Gomile starejše železne dobe. Razprave = Grabhügel aus der älteren Eisenzeit. Studien, S. Grabrovec, B. Teržan, 189–325. Katalogi in monografije 38, Ljubljana: Narodni muzej Slovenije.
Teržan, B., S. Gabrovec. 2006. „Gomila 125, izkopavanje A. Goetzeja, 1906“. In Stična II/1 Gomile starejše železne dobe = Grabhügel aus der Älteren Eisenzeit. S. Gabrovec, A. Kruh, I. Murgelj, B. Teržan, 226–262. Katalogi in Monografije 37. Ljubljana: Narodni muzej Slovenije.
Thurston, T. 2010. “Bitter Arrows and Generous Gifts: What Was a ‘King’ in the European Iron Age?” In Pathways to Power: New Perspectives on the Emergence of Social Inequality, eds. T. D. Price, G. M. Feinman, 193–254. New York: Springer.
Turk, P. 2005, Podobe življenja in mita. Ljubljana: Narodni muzej Slovenije.
Verhoeven, M. 2011. “The Many Dimensions of Ritual”. In The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Ritual and Religion, ed. T. Insoll, 115–132. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Whitley, J. 2002. Objects with Attitude: Biographical Facts and Fallacies in the Study of Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Warrior Graves. Cambridge Archaeological Journal 12/2, 217–232.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2018 By authors
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
ERIH PLUS - European Reference Index for the Humanities
World Cat
AnthroSerbia
