Fragmenting the Chieftain - Catalogue: Late Bronze and Early Iron Age Elite Burials in the Low Countries

286 Pages·2018·50.51 MB·English

by  Sasja Van Der Vaart-Verschoof

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FRAGMENTING THE CHIEFTAIN o
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There is a cluster of Early Iron Age (800–500 BC) elite burials in the Low
Countries in which bronze vessels, weaponry, horse-gear and wagons were interred
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as grave goods. Mostly imports from Central Europe, these objects are found R
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brought together in varying configurations in cremation burials generally known
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as chieftains’ graves or princely burials. In terms of grave goods they resemble the M
Fürstengräber of the Hallstatt Culture of Central Europe, with famous Dutch and E
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Belgian examples being the Chieftain’s grave of Oss, the wagon-grave of Wijchen
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and the elite cemetery of Court-St-Etienne. I
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The majority of the Dutch and Belgian burials were found several decades to

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several centuries ago and context information tends to be limited. They also tend
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to be published in Dutch or French or otherwise difficult to access publications. E

This research went back to the original reports and studied the objects found C
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in these graves in detail. This generated new and evidence-based insights and
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interpretations into these exceptional burials and allowed for the reconstruction
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of the individual burial rituals. Fragmenting the Chieftain – Catalogue presents the T FRAGMENTING
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first comprehensive overview of the Dutch and Belgian elite graves (in English)
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and the objects they contain.

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The results of an in-depth and practice-based archaeological analysis of the Dutch C THE CHIEFTAIN
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and Belgian elite graves and the burial practice through which they were created
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can be found in Fragmenting the Chieftain. A practice-based study of Early Iron Age A
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Hallstatt C elite burials in the Low Countries.
O Late Bronze and Early Iron Age elite burials
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U in the Low Countries
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SASJA VAN DER VAART-VERSCHOOF
15
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Catalogue
ISSBNid 97e8-s90t-o88n90e-51 4P-8ress
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ISBN: 978-90-8890-514-8 i
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to PALMA 15 PAPERS ON ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE
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FRAGMENTING
THE CHIEFTAIN
Late Bronze and Early Iron Age elite
burials in the Low Countries
Catalogue
Sidestone Press

FRAGMENTING
THE CHIEFTAIN
Late Bronze and Early Iron Age elite
burials in the Low Countries
Catalogue
Sasja van der Vaart-Verschoof
PALMA 15
PAPERS ON ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE
LEIDEN MUSEUM OF ANTIQUITIES
© 2017 Rijksmuseum van Oudheden; Sasja van der Vaart-
Verschoof
PALMA: Papers on Archaeology of the Leiden Museum of
Antiquities (volume 15b)
This volume forms the accompanying Catalogue for the volume
Fragmenting the Chieftain. A practice-based study of Early Iron Age
Hallstatt C elite burials in the Low Countries.
Published by Sidestone Press, Leiden
www.sidestone.com
Imprint: Sidestone Press Dissertations
Lay-out & cover design: Sidestone Press
Photograph cover: R.J. Looman, © RMO
ISBN 978-90-8890-514-8 (softcover)
ISBN 978-90-8890-515-5 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-90-8890-516-2 (PDF e-book)
ISSN 2034-550X
Contents
C1 Introduction 15
C2 Terminology and typology 25
C2.1 Pottery 25
C2.2 Bronze vessels 26
C2.2.1 Basic terminology and typology 26
C2.2.1.1 The type Kurd bucket 26
C2.2.2 The Dutch and Belgian bronze vessels 27
C2.3 Weaponry 27
C2.3.1 Swords and chapes 27
C2.3.1.1 Terminology 27
C2.3.1.2 Research history and typology 27
C2.3.1.3 Type Gündlingen swords 28
C2.3.1.4 Iron Mindelheim swords 29
C2.3.1.5 Other (unique) iron swords 31
C2.3.1.6 A rider’s blade? 32
C2.3.2 Other weaponry 32
C2.4 Horse-gear and wagons 33
C2.4.1 Terminology 33
C2.4.2 Horse-gear and wagon components from the Low Countries 34
C2.4.2.1 Yoke and wagon components from Dutch and Belgian burials 34
C2.4.3 Horse-gear with British connections? 35
C2.4.4 The problem of the loose ring 36
C2.4.5 Horse-gear or scabbard element 36
C2.5 Tools 37
C2.5.1 Knives 37
C2.5.2 Axes 37
C2.5.3 (Whet)stones 37
C2.5.4 Spindle whorls 37
C2.6 Personal appearance: grooming tools and ornaments 37
C2.6.1 Atlantic razors? 37
C2.6.2 Toiletries 37
C2.6.3 Ornaments 38
C2.7 Textiles 38
C2.7.1 Defining cloth, clothing and costume 38
C2.7.2 Technical aspect of textile (analysis) 38
C2.7.3 Textiles in Oss-Vorstengraf 40
C2.7.4 Textiles in Uden-Slabroek 40
C3 Revealing restorations 41
C3.1 Restoring the Chieftain’s grave of Oss 42
C3.1.1 Restoration 1933–’34 42
C3.1.2 Restoration 1963 43
C3.1.3 Restoration 1992–’93 43
C3.1.4 Conclusion: the Chieftain’s grave of Oss 44
C3.2 Restoring the Wijchen blades 45
C3.3 Court-St-Etienne La Ferme Rouge T.3 restored or degraded? 46
C3.4 Conclusion 46
C4 Baarlo 47
C4.1 Find circumstances 47
C4.2 The material remains 48
C4.3 Dating 48
C4.4 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 49
C5 Basse-Wavre 50
C5.1 Find circumstances 50
C5.2 Tombelle 5 50
C5.2.1 The material remains 50
C5.2.2 Dating 53
C5.2.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 53
C6 Court-St-Etienne 54
C6.1 Research history 54
C6.2 Court-St-Etienne La Ferme Rouge 55
C6.2.1 Find circumstances 56
C6.2.2 Tombelle 1 57
C6.2.2.1 The material remains 57
C6.2.2.2 Dating 58
C6.2.2.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 58
C6.2.3 Tombelle 2 58
C6.2.3.1 The material remains 58
C6.2.3.2 Dating 59
C6.2.3.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 59
C6.2.4 Tombelle 3 59
C6.2.4.1 The material remains 61
C6.2.4.2 Dating 65
C6.2.4.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 66
C6.2.5 Tombelle 4 66
C6.2.5.1 The material remains 66
C6.2.5.2 Dating 68
C6.2.5.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 68
C6.2.6 Tombelle 5 68
C6.2.6.1 The material remains 68
C6.2.6.2 Dating 70
C6.2.6.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 70
C6.2.7 Objects found at La Ferme Rouge which cannot be ascribed
to a specific barrow 70
C6.3 Court-St-Etienne La Quenique 71
C6.3.1 Find circumstances 71
C6.3.2 Tombelle A 71
C6.3.2.1 The material remains 71
C6.3.2.2 Also from Tombelle A? 74
C6.3.2.3 Dating 74
C6.3.2.4 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 74
C6.3.3 Tombelle B 75
C6.3.3.1 The material remains 75
C6.3.3.2 Dating 75
C6.3.3.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 76
C6.3.4 Tombelle K 76
C6.3.4.1 The material remains 76
C6.3.4.2 Dating 77
C6.3.4.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 77
C6.3.5 Tombelle L 77
C6.3.5.1 The material remains 77
C6.3.5.2 Dating 78
C6.3.5.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 78
C6.3.6 Tombelle M 78
C6.3.6.1 The material remains 78
C6.3.6.2 Dating 78
C6.3.6.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 78
C6.3.7 Tombelle X 78
C6.3.8 Tombelle Y 80
C6.3.8.1 The material remains 80
C6.3.8.2 Dating 80
C6.3.8.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 80
C6.3.9 Tombelle Z 80
C6.3.9.1 The material remains 81
C6.3.9.2 Dating 81
C6.3.9.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 81
C6.3.10 Objects found at La Quenique, but not attributable to a
specific barrow 81
C6.3.10.1 Excavation 1861 82
C6.3.10.2 Burial opened in 1870 82
C6.3.10.3 Vandalization of barrows in 1877–‘78 82
C6.3.10.4 Objects probably from vandalization of 1877–‘78 87
C6.3.10.5 Objects of uncertain provenance 90
C6.3.11 Flat graves at La Quenique 90
C6.3.11.1 A chape probably found in a flat grave at La Quenique 92
C7 Darp-Bisschopsberg 93
C7.1 Find circumstances 93
C7.2 The material remains 94
C7.3 Dating 96
C7.4 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 96
C8 Ede-Bennekom 97
C8.1 Find circumstances 97
C8.2 The material remains 97
C8.3 Dating 98
C8.4 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 98
C9 Flobecq-Pottelberg Tombelle 78 99
C9.1 The material remains 99
C9.2 Dating 99
C9.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 99
C10 Gedinne-Chevaudos 100
C10.1 Find circumstances 100
C10.2 Tombelle 1 101
C10.2.1 The material remains 101
C10.2.2 Dating 101
C10.2.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 101
C10.3 Tombelle 2 102
C10.3.1 The material remains 102
C10.3.2 Dating 102
C10.3.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 102
C10.4 Tombelle 13 102
C10.4.1 The material remains 102
C10.4.2 Dating 102
C10.4.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 103
C10.5 Tombelle 14 103
C10.5.1 The material remains 103
C10.5.2 Dating 104
C10.5.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 104
C10.6 Tombelle 16 104
C10.6.1 The material remains 104
C10.6.2 Dating 106
C10.6.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 106
C10.7 Tombelle A 106
C10.7.1 The material remains 106
C10.7.2 Dating 106
C10.7.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 106
C10.8 Tombelle P/Q 107
C10.8.1 The material remains 107
C10.8.2 Dating 107
C10.8.3 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 107
C11 Haps grave 190 108
C11.1 Find circumstances 109
C11.2 The material remains 109
C11.3 Dating 110
C11.4 Actions taken and reconstructing the (burial) ritual 110