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This paper discusses transformations in human behavior between the Iron Age and the Roman times in the tribal territory of the Treveri, later civitas Treverorum, located between the Rhine and the Ardennes. This aspect has been examined from two perspectives: first, from an anthropological point of view vis‐a‐vis the historical inhabitants, and second, from an archaeozoological perspective regarding domestic animals. Due to small sample sizes and/or difficulty in dating, both regarding humans and domestic animals, transformations in living conditions and animal‐keeping could mostly be outlined only for the La Tène and Roman times. Only the Celtic‐Roman cemetery of Wederath‐Belginum with continued use from middle La Tène to late antiquity offers a more complex insight into human mortality and animal offerings. People lived longer in the Roman times but had more pathologies compared with the previous La Tène period. Body height remained similar in the La Tène and Roman times. However, differences existed within specific human groups (for example, warriors and craftsmen), compared to the normal population. Sex differences in mortality persisted from La Tène to Roman times. The faunal composition in the burials, settlements, and sanctuaries also shows changes. Since the middle La Tène period, chickens have been present. The first oysters can be found in Augustean times, whereas exotic birds such as crested fowls and peacocks are found only in later Roman times and are quite rare. A new direction in animal‐keeping is demonstrated via an increasing logarithmic size index (LSI) in cattle and sheep. The multivariate methods applied in this study offer further insights into the domain and can serve as helpful tools for osteoarchaeological data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Amber, a fossil tree resin, due to its specific physical properties has a genuine aura that has made it popular both as a gemstone and as a magical-religious amulet to this day. The supra-regional – 'global' in ancient terms – distribution of Baltic succinite is also reflected in the Eastern Alps. The central communication corridor along the Salzach and the Tauern transit in particular features a high density of amber objects during all epochs. The region therefore serves as a model case for investigating temporally variable aspects of the appropriation, use, symbolic significance and dissemination of amber. In addition to very rare Bronze Age objects and more frequent use in the Early Iron Age, the Dürrnberg near Hallein, along with the adjacent salt district at Hallstatt, is one of the main European centres of amber use during the Late Hallstatt and Early La Tène periods. Here, new quantitative and qualitative analyses provide evidence for changing patterns in the fashion of wearing, use and symbolic-magical meaning of amber jewellery. In the later La Tène period, there was a gradual decline in amber use both regionally and in other areas of Europe. This trend continued in the Roman Empire in the area of the municipium Claudium Iuvavum (Salzburg), before a final but short-lived revival of amber jewellery began in the Early Middle Ages. In a diachronic perspective, time-specific patterns in the use and integration of the strange raw material into the indigenous material culture and magic ideas become evident. Amber, however, does not only appear as a 'by-product' of purely economic communication along trans-regional trade and transport relations of the so-called 'Amber Roads'. Rather, qualitative and quantitative analyses show that amber was consciously chosen and rejected as a medium of social communication at different times and that specific meaning was variably attributed. In processes of intentional cultural appropriation, the exotic material thus reveals differentiated decision-making and agency of indigenous communities in Central European pre- and protohistory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The various coarse decorated pottery wares of Ha D2–3 and LT A in Bohemia and Moravia also include a prominent pottery group characterised with surface decorated with finger tip impressions. In France and Italy, some authors have conceived pottery with similar decoration as evidence of long distance contacts or even migrations of Celts in the early 4th century BC. However, the use of finger tip decoration is attested in the Czech Republic in various cultural and chronological contexts with its peak in the Roman Iron Age sug gesting that this ware is not sufficiently distinct to be connected with a specific cultural milieu. The results of technological analyses of this ware point in a similar direction. At the present state of research in the Czech Republic, finger tip decoration thus needs to be understood as a universal technique of decoration or surface treatment rather than as a hint at a population with a distinct identity.

In the Emilian Po plain, during the Late Iron Age (4th and 3rd century BCE), an unprecedented and heteroge neous class of handmade coarse and decorated ceramics emerged in certain sites. In comparison to other Transpadane regions, its presence is not dominant or statistically significant, except for a few sites that are characterised by more evident La Tène imports and burial customs. This pottery gradually disappeared during the Roman conquest (late 3rd–2nd century BCE), except in some rural areas and in the westernmost colonies. The aim of this paper is to outline the key features of this distinctive and challenging pottery and to explore functional and potential social and cultural interpretations, while also considering cross cultural comparisons.

The discovery of a Celtic oppidum near Stradonice in Central Bohemia attracted the attention of the Czech archaeologist J. L. Píč at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and then of the French oppidum researcher J. Déchelette, who translated Píč’s book on Stradonice into French. The controversy about the dating of the site was significant for further research, in which Píč tried to interpret Stradonice as the seat of the Germanic ruler Marobuduus from around the turn of the eras, while Déchelette, supported by archaeological finds, correctly identified Stradonice as a Celtic oppidum that had disappeared before the end of the 1st century BC. The article proves that both of these interpretations did not originate only then, but had a deeper tradition in Czech archaeology.

An infant grave excavated in Lang, Styria, Austria, had a small axe as a grave gift in addition to a ceramic urn. Another grave from the cemetery of Dobova (Slovenia), where also a child was buried, contained small objects in the form of an axe and a spearhead as well as a set of four vessels. In addition to these two graves, there are more graves known in the southeastern Alps, where small objects were given as grave goods. These graves are discussed in terms of the function and symbolism of these small objects and compared in a broader context with the northeastern Austrian region and the graves from the Dürrnberg.

This study focuses on the introduction of pottery-forming methods employing rotational motion in relation to social and economic conditions and their transformations during the La Tène period in Central Europe. It explores the diversity of technological practices on a broader geographical scale in several regions of the Czech Republic with various demographic, social, and environmental conditions during this period. The study is based on the idea that a technological process is a cultural trait whose adoption is the result of a cultural selection. These interactions are facilitated by the performances of the technological process and its products. The technological analysis relies on a recently developed quantitative analytical technique based on calculating the orientation of components of the ceramic body supplemented by qualitative classification of diagnostic features observed on X-ray images and CT reconstructions. By applying the methodology to an extensive collection of pottery samples, we have obtained a robust picture of the adoption and spread of different variants of the application of rotational motion. Based on this evidence, we proposed evolutionary scenarios that show the unique interplay of the performances of the individual variants of this general innovative idea with specific local socio-cultural conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Emilian Po plain, during the Late Iron Age (4th and 3rd century BCE), an unprecedented and heterogeneous class of handmade coarse and decorated ceramics emerged in certain sites. In comparison to other Transpadane regions, its presence is not dominant or statistically significant, except for a few sites that are characterised by more evident La Tène imports and burial customs. This pottery gradually disappeared during the Roman conquest (late 3rd-2nd century BCE), except in some rural areas and in the westernmost colonies. The aim of this paper is to outline the key features of this distinctive and challenging pottery and to explore functional and potential social and cultural interpretations, while also considering cross -cultural comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the assemblage of finds from a sunken hut in Nižbor opposite the Stradonice oppidum on the other bank of the Berounka River. The inventory from the sunken hut, which testifies to its contemporaneity with one of the phases of settlement at the oppidum in the Late La Tène period, was composed of common settlement finds of pottery and animal bones but also the skeletal remains of an older male. As such, it is a source for the study of excarnation, or the handling of the body of the deceased in the central European Late La Tène period following the end of burials at the so-called flat cemeteries. Radiocarbon dating of human and animal bones is important for establishing the chronology of the accompanying find assemblage, especially painted pottery in Bohemia. The location of the site near a probable ford over the Berounka River is the starting point for the reconstruction of the roads in the broader vicinity of the oppidum.

A small silver coin complementary to the Augentyp-Stamm Tauriscan obols was found in controlled archaeological excavations at the Lobor hillfort. The hillfort was fortified in the late La Tène period (Lt D), which is also the most likely depositional context of the coin, since the site was clearly not occupied during the early imperial age. It can be assumed that the coin was produced in the earlier part of late La Tène (Lt D1), in accordance with the presently accepted chronology of Tauriscan coins. Similar obols were found at comparable hillfort sites in the Tauriscan area, but, due to their small number and lack of secure stratigraphic contextualization, this phenomenon is not easily explained in terms of commercial exchange.

Copyright of Archeologické Rozhledy is the property of Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Archaeology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Archeologické Rozhledy is the property of Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Archaeology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The site of Němčice is known primarily for its metal artefacts from the La Tène period and its key role as an emporio - central site. Systematic research in the last few years has brought a huge amount of new data, including a large set of daub fragments, which in the past were parts of constructions like houses or production features. In the following article, we present the results of the first phase of the analysis from the very rich feature No. 500. It did not deliver too many ceramic or metal artefacts, but on the contrary, there is a large number of daub fragments. This material presents a very high representation of construction materials which includes wattle negatives, pale negatives and carved elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of a Celtic oppidum near Stradonice in Central Bohemia attracted the attention of the Czech archaeologist J. L. Píč at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and then of the French oppidum researcher J. Déchelette, who translated Píč's book on Stradonice into French. The controversy about the dating of the site was significant for further research, in which Píč tried to interpret Stradonice as the seat of the Germanic ruler Marobuduus from around the turn of the eras, while Déchelette, supported by archaeological finds, correctly identified Stradonice as a Celtic oppidum that had disappeared before the end of the 1st century BC. The article proves that both of these interpretations did not originate only then, but had a deeper tradition in Czech archaeology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An infant grave excavated in Lang, Styria, Austria, had a small axe as a grave gift in addition to a ceramic urn. Another grave from the cemetery of Dobova (Slovenia), where also a child was buried, contained small objects in the form of an axe and a spearhead as well as a set of four vessels. In addition to these two graves, there are more graves known in the southeastern Alps, where small objects were given as grave goods. These graves are discussed in terms of the function and symbolism of these small objects and compared in a broader context with the northeastern Austrian region and the graves from the Dürrnberg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fortified sites from the La Tène Period belong to the main research topics of Karol Pieta. He has contributed to their field excavations in the mountainous environment of Slovakia to a great extent. He also very intensely deals with their classification and dating. In the text, I try to apply his knowledge on the research of the fortified sites in the regions of the Hron and Ipeľ river basins and also confront them with the latest research. K. Pieta has distinguished several types of fortifications: hillfort, castella, small hillfort, refuge place, etc. Unlike other authors, he did not consider only the size of the fortified area, but also its use. Individual fortifications and enclosed areas might have had a practical function, social or symbolic meaning. K. Pieta promotes mainly the defensive and protective function of the fortified sites in the territory of Slovakia. There had to be real reasons and favourable conditions for existence of fortifications, as they were often large structures challenging as for work power and its organization, project with some experience as well as available sources of building material and strategical thinking of the authors. Nevertheless, he does not exclude possible central, commercial or sacral function of the fortified settlements. I have selected the regions of Pohronie and Poiplie in the analysis for three reasons – they are more or less complexly processed and their character allows application of results also for other parts of the north of the Carpathian Basin, maybe with the exception of the area of the Bratislava oppidum. The third characteristics of the chosen region which was the reason for selecting it as a ‘model’ is that it is partly a peripheral area of the La Tène settlement in the north of the Carpathian Basin, where two cultural areas meet – the La Tène and Púchov cultures. According to the current state of research, there are 26 fortified sites of different sizes and forms in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the find of a La Tène rein guide ring from Vendolí, Svitavy district. Morphological-typological analysis has shown that it was a so far unknown type dating to LTD1. From a regional point of view, the find complements the mosaic consisting of other, so far scarce La Tène artefacts discovered in the Svitavy region and along with them, it testifies to the existence of a communication corridor connecting permanently settled areas in eastern Bohemia and Moravia. In a supra-regional context, it represents a new hybrid form, combining features of certain western and eastern types of rein guide rings which constituted a functional and at the same time representative part of horse harness. Along with some similarly shaped finds, it represents a specific central European variant of these remarkable artefacts associated with the world of late La Tène social elites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The finds of human remain in settlement features from the La Tène period are rare, especially cases when we can interpret these finds as proof of ritual activities. One of them represents archaeological research of the La Tène settlement with 38 archaeological features situated in the Záhrady site, located southeast of the urban area of Bratislava in the city part Devín. The article is evaluated the burial context in feature no. 74, which represents a common La Tène dwelling, where skeletal remains of a man were found. It aims to reconstruct several aspects connected to properties, existence, destruction, and secondary usage through the method of inverse transformation. Based on interim results, are created hypotheses focusing on the interpretation of such behaviour. Can we join these activities with intramural burial or its only proof of disposal of the dead? Interpretation goes further when taking in count presents of the charcoal layer, which may indicate more deep activities connected with cremation rituals. Those questions are discussed in the context of central European archaeology and the need for rethinking some old conclusions is emerged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During rescue excavations in the town of Sereď, Galanta distr., SW Slovakia, a settlement from the La Tène Period was uncovered. The article analyses two sunken features, pit-houses. A usual set of pottery consisting of bowl and vase shapes, situlas and situla-shaped pots was discovered in their fills. One of the features is well dated by two fragments of bracelets made of sapropelite. Settlement is dated to the Middle La Tène Period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article briefly presents the history of textile archaeology in Slovakia, the foundations of which were laid out by Karol Pieta. With his scientific curiosity and hunger for the new adventures, Karol Pieta has been crossing the boundaries of his discipline his whole life. The conditions for the preservation of organic materials are generally very unfavourable, which is why they were often overlooked by archaeologists. Interest for textiles first started with remains hidden in tubular anklets dated to the La Tène Period, initially noticed and studied by Karol Pieta. The most unique ones come from Nové Zámky and shed light on an embroidery technique of the Late Iron Age. The majority of prehistoric textiles in Slovakia are dated to the La Tène Period and it is comparable with finds from the Czech Republic and Austria. A find from an unknown location analysed in 2021, can with certainty be assigned to the corpus of La Tène Period textiles. It can be assumed that linen tabbies made of simple z-spun threads were preferred in this period. Textiles were found in different circumstances, usually mineralised on metal artefacts in graves. The primary use of these textiles was for clothing and ritual wrappings. A secondary use is evidenced by textile fillings of bronze hollow anklets. A Celtic female dress was reconstructed based on the position of artefacts found in the graves, as well on the observations of La Tène Period textiles, in particular the Nové Zámky embroidery. It is interesting to see, that textiles were apparently used as a code to reflect social and aesthetic values. In society they played an important role in the definition and expression of social space and of group relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As shown by the finds from the Dřemčice village in North Bohemia, even confrontation of available numismatic and archaeological sources and approaches often do not lead to unambiguous and correct chronological conclusions. Therefore, in cases of unknown or unclear finding context, it is important to apply all available methods based on typological, iconographical, metrological, metallographic data and other criteria. In selected cases, analyses of the artistic aspect of Celtic coins and their pictorial elements in the context of decoration of contemporaneous archaeological artefacts also seem to be of interest. To verify the approach, we selected a Celtic coin from the earlier phase of Central European Celtic coinage and we compared it with decorations of a Hungarian style sword. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to assess a few new finds of metal vessels from the Late La Tène sites in Eastern Bohemia. These objects are first analysed from a formal and stylistic perspective, and subsequently discussed in the context of other similar finds and their significance. The bronze vessel feet from Černčice, Rozběřice, and an unknown site which belong to the category of Mediterranean imports are discussed – along with other representatives of Late Republican toreutics – also from the point of view of the La Tène period and the Early Roman Iron Age occupation. The find from Bolehošť, on the other hand, represents an unparalleled applique in the shape of a stylised bull head whose rendition corresponds with the West La Tène artistic approach.

The archaeological site of Ribnica near Brežice has been known to the general public since the mid-1950s as the location of the Roman roadside station Romula. Between 2001 and 2004, extensive archaeological excavations took place on the site because of the planned construction of the Ljubljana – Obrežje highway; among other things, it proved that this location was att ractive not only to the Romans, but also to sett lers in prehistory, the Middle Ages, and modern times. The earliest archaeological remains at Ribnica date to the Eneolithic period, followed by the Bronze Age sett lement and a few pits from the La Tène period. Among the prehistoric fi nds, those from the Bronze Age are the most numerous, while those from the Eneolithic and the La Tène period appear only sporadically. Although two decades have passed since the excavations at Ribnica, the research results have not been published yet. In this paper, we provide an overview of the prehistoric remains discovered in Ribnica near Brežice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information about a small assemblage of glass artefacts from the middle/late La Tène period which were found by surface collection south of the village of Chlumec (Olešník, České Budějovice District). The most extraordinary find is a fragment of a spool-shaped bead with decoration in the form of a schematised human face, which has not been recorded in Bohemia before. This form of face beads proves contacts between South Bohemia and the Carpathian Basin, as most of the previously known specimens come from Moravia, Slovakia and Hungary. The article also presents the results of XRF analysis of glass samples which allowed us to reliably exclude two artefacts from the assemblage whose chemical composition does not correspond to La Tène period glass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountain summits in the Slovak part of the Western Carpathians bear evidence of human presence from the Late Bronze to the Late Iron Age. According to fire-induced changes in archaeological record and finds of weaponry, some of the extreme upland sites (EUS) were viewed as places of safety or refugia violently destroyed within a short period. We have focussed on three sites with summits at 1300–1550 m a. s. l. and found out that two of them were used in 650–400 calBC and 390–150 calBC, respectively. By the first systematic use of 14C dating and targeted 14C sampling, we have overcome the inherent chronological imprecision of their artefactual record and opened new vistas for interpretation of this type of sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The La Tène central agglomeration in Němčice has thus far produced a collection of dice, some of which were obtained from earlier work at the site, others from new excavations in 2021 and 2022. The assemblage has been supplemented with additional specimens from several Moravian sites. The objective of this article is to present the known dice and semi-finished dice from the La Tène period in Moravia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the application of non-destructive methods on the Tvrdošovce site. The goal of the paper is to inform about the latest results of a non-destructive survey at the Včelíny site in the village of Tvrdošovce. The case study of this site aims to present a combination of various non-destructive methods such as geophysical survey, LiDAR, aerial, and satellite photos with a subsequent comparison with features that previously underwent a process of archaeological excavation. This polycultural site has primarily the character of a settlement. Based on metal prospection, the largest settlement scope may be dated to the Roman period; based on archaeological excavation, the largest period of the settlement may be the middle La Tene period in LTB2/LTC1 and LTC2. An archaeological excavation was performed on the site from 2017 to 2019. Prior to this, an intense surface prospecting using metal detectors had been carried out on this site since 2015. This prospection showed significant Roman, and, to a lesser extent, Bronze Age, Hallstatt, La Tene, and Middle Age settlements. In addition, two geophysical surveys were carried out here in 2017 and 2022. Non-destructive methods are often considered ineffective in the case of lowland sites. Nevertheless, we will try to present a successful example of a combination of these different approaches in the presented article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is focused mainly on summarization of materials provided by documents on existence of settlements, settle-ment features from the territory of southwestern Slovakia and their possible use as residences. We also raise a question about the size and urbanism of settlements and their specifications from the aspect of a common inhabitant or elite of the then society with higher status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on quadrangular ditch enclosures at the La Tène period cemeteries in Bohemia and Moravia. The starting points for the analysis are recently excavated and evaluated enclosures from two archaeological sites. Three enclosures, one surrounding a robbed burial pit, were excavated at Lochenice, Hradec Králové district. Based on ra-diocarbon dating, they can be dated to the LTA/B1 or LTB2b-C1a period. The second case is represented by a partially robbed double grave with an enclosure from Nebovidy, Kolín district. It can be dated using the same method to the broader LTB-C1/C2 period. As part of the evaluation, data on thirty-four similar features registered at fifteen sites with proven or probable links to burial activities from various parts of the La Tène period were analysed. Their formal and metric characteristics, chronology issues, and geographical distribution are examined in particular. Associated graves and burials documented in less than half of the cases are evaluated too. The results show chronological and, in some aspects, formal differences between these structures known from the Czech and Moravian territories. The discussion focuses in a broader context on the background of these differences and the possible role and construction form of quadrangular enclosures recorded within the working area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Gold Objects and Gold Groups - Investigations and Analyses of the La Tène Period Gold Finger Ring from Nackenheim, Mainz-Bingen District" deals with the examination and chronological classification of a golden finger ring from Nackenheim. The ring is described as a simple and durable form that dates back to the Late La Tène period. Archaeometric analyses show that the ring has a high concentration of silver and copper and was made from a raw material that was already used in the Lt A stage in the northern Upper Rhine region. The text describes various sites where gold objects from the early La Tène period have been found near Nackenheim, including finds of golden finger rings, earrings, and a drinking horn. It also refers to stylistic parallels with other finds. The article also deals with various finds of jewelry from the Iron Age, especially rings and bracelets, and describes various find locations. It also describes various finds of golden arm rings with heart-shaped loop decoration from different archaeological graves and hoards. The text also describes various jewelry items made of gold and silver that have been discovered in various archaeological finds and discusses the different forms and datings of the jewelry. It also discusses archaeometric analyses that examine the chemical composition of the gold. The article deals with the changes in gold alloys and gold jewelry during the early La Tène period and emphasizes that golden jewelry continued to be worn by the elites, but in simpler forms and with less ornamentation. It also addresses the societal transformation processes and developments in early loop rings. The text includes a list of sources and publications on various topics related to the Iron Age and Celtic art, as well as a list of literature references to various archaeological finds and studies related to the Iron Age and Celtic culture. [Extracted from the article]

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The paper aims to assess a few new finds of metal vessels from the Late La Tène sites in Eastern Bohemia. These objects are first analysed from a formal and stylistic perspective, and subsequently discussed in the context of other similar finds and their significance. The bronze vessel feet from Černčice, Rozběřice, and an unknown site which belong to the category of Mediterranean imports are discussed -- along with other representatives of Late Republican toreutics -- also from the point of view of the La Tène period and the Early Roman Iron Age occupation. The find from Bolehošť, on the other hand, represents an unparalleled applique in the shape of a stylised bull -head whose rendition corresponds with the West La Tène artistic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The hillfort Háj in Sedliacka Dubová, dist. Dolný Kubín was discovered on LIDAR’s photo as part of the international police action so called “PANDORA VI”. In 2021, a non-destructive prospection and a detailed detector survey of the fortified area, including two survey trenches, took place by the authors of the paper in cooperation with the SEPTENTRIO Association. There was found a collection of several bronze, iron and ceramic artifacts, which can be dated to various periods from prehistory (younger stage of the Hallstatt period, La Tène period) to medieval and modern times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Studia Archaeologica Brunensia is the property of Masaryk University, Faculty of Arts and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Dürrnberg ‘Eislfeld’- necropolis was intermittently excavated from 1963–2003. One of the largest and most important cemeteries of the northern alpine salt centre, the ‘Eislfeld’ is characterized by the size and abundancy of grave furnishings. Similar to other Dürrnberg sites, the cemetery includes vertical sequences of grave chambers, and various multiple and secondary burials. 110 graves contained 194 buried individuals, with 84 females and 56 males as indicated by anthropological analysis. The cemetery was in use from Ha D1 until LT B1 with a focus in Ha D2/3 and LT A. Predominant inhumations are complemented by cremations, the relics of two pyres, and drystone remains of funeral architecture. Regular grave goods include food and drink, iron knives, jewellery, and some weaponry. Some female and children burials stand out with regard to exclusive grave goods including gold jewellery, imported vessels, cult items, and amulets. Burial mounds of considerable size conveyed power and wealth and promoted communal identity

Copyright of Archeologické Rozhledy is the property of Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Archaeology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Several sites with rich finds are known from the area of the Púchov culture with a wide range of finds. They include a mass find from the central Považie region, from the hitherto little-known site of Podskalie, on the flank of the Veľké skaly hill in the district of Považská Bystrica. It contains two examples of a hitherto unknown, new type of belt hook, a belt ornament and a pseudo-filigree basket amulet. A key, lock spring, cramp irons and two knives were also found. Several Celtic coins in circulation on the territory of the Púchov culture also come from this site, namely the Divinka, Nitra, Veľký Bysterec types, the Slovak or Kolačno type, the Liptovská Mara and Simmering types. The hoard and the coins date the site to the late La Tène period LT D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certain forms of bronze fibulae, alongside some forms of bronze belts, are recognizable items of the Middle La Tène Scordiscan female costume. One of those forms is the so-called Scordiscan variant of bronze fibulae with round plates decorated in pseudo-filigree and pseudo-granulation techniques. Fibulae belonging to this heterogeneous group, with specific variants singled out, are characteristic of communities along the Danube River which shared similar ideas of decoration of the female body during the Middle La Tène. The presence of numerous variants of fibulae clearly points to the existence of local workshops, regardless of noticeably the same basic decorative design concept in their production. Fibulae assigned to the Scordiscan variant have a characteristic trefoil motif with a knob on the top of the round plate and are, for now, known only from Scordiscan sites, due to which they can probably be considered products of their workshops. Finds of fibulae assigned to some other variants were also discovered at Scordiscan sites, indicating the existence of cultural contacts with neighbouring communities. In any case, bronze fibulae decorated in pseudo-filigree and pseudo-granulation techniques provide valuable findings of decorating Scordiscan women's bodies, as well as their public presentation, i.e., the fibulae probably represent a recognizable manifestation of their visual identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this exceptional strategical location on the confluence of the Danube and Váh river we have evidence of settlement in the end of the Middle and Late La Tène period. Although no area excavation has been carried out yet, important finds and features supported by rescue excavations allow us to classify this locality as an important site. Features and finds have been confirmed at eight locations. As for settlement features, they are pits of various functions and production features including the remarkable site of Nádvorie Európy square with a series of six pottery kilns. They produced high-quality goods made on potter's wheel which also contained painted pottery. We suppose that Komárno in the La Tène period was one of eminent locations with concentration of production and trade. Thus, contacts were directed to the north, along the so-called Váh route, as well as southwards and southwestwards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the find of a La Tène rein guide ring from Vendolí, Svitavy district. Morphological-typological analysis has shown that it was a so far unknown type dating to LTD1. From a regional point of view, the find complements the mosaic consisting of other, so far scarce La Tène artefacts discovered in the Svitavy region and along with them, it testifies to the existence of a communication corridor connecting permanently settled areas in eastern Bohemia and Moravia. In a supra-regional context, it represents a new hybrid form, combining features of certain western and eastern types of rein guide rings which constituted a functional and at the same time representative part of horse harness. Along with some similarly shaped finds, it represents a specific central European variant of these remarkable artefacts associated with the world of late La Tène social elites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The finds of human remain in settlement features from the La Tène period are rare, especially cases when we can interpret these finds as proof of ritual activities. One of them represents archaeological research of the La Tène settlement with 38 archaeological features situated in the Záhrady site, located southeast of the urban area of Bratislava in the city part Devín. The article is evaluated the burial context in feature no. 74, which represents a common La Tène dwelling, where skeletal remains of a man were found. It aims to reconstruct several aspects connected to properties, existence, destruction, and secondary usage through the method of inverse transformation. Based on interim results, are created hypotheses focusing on the interpretation of such behaviour. Can we join these activities with intramural burial or its only proof of disposal of the dead? Interpretation goes further when taking in count presents of the charcoal layer, which may indicate more deep activities connected with cremation rituals. Those questions are discussed in the context of central European archaeology and the need for rethinking some old conclusions is emerged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fortified sites from the La Tène Period belong to the main research topics of Karol Pieta. He has contributed to their field excavations in the mountainous environment of Slovakia to a great extent. He also very intensely deals with their classification and dating. In the text, I try to apply his knowledge on the research of the fortified sites in the regions of the Hron and Ipeľ river basins and also confront them with the latest research. K. Pieta has distinguished several types of fortifications: hillfort, castella, small hillfort, refuge place, etc. Unlike other authors, he did not consider only the size of the fortified area, but also its use. Individual fortifications and enclosed areas might have had a practical function, social or symbolic meaning. K. Pieta promotes mainly the defensive and protective function of the fortified sites in the territory of Slovakia. There had to be real reasons and favourable conditions for existence of fortifications, as they were often large structures challenging as for work power and its organization, project with some experience as well as available sources of building material and strategical thinking of the authors. Nevertheless, he does not exclude possible central, commercial or sacral function of the fortified settlements. I have selected the regions of Pohronie and Poiplie in the analysis for three reasons - they are more or less complexly processed and their character allows application of results also for other parts of the north of the Carpathian Basin, maybe with the exception of the area of the Bratislava oppidum. The third characteristics of the chosen region which was the reason for selecting it as a 'model' is that it is partly a peripheral area of the La Tène settlement in the north of the Carpathian Basin, where two cultural areas meet - the La Tène and Púchov cultures. According to the current state of research, there are 26 fortified sites of different sizes and forms in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During rescue excavations in the town of Sereď, Galanta distr., SW Slovakia, a settlement from the La Tène Period was uncovered. The article analyses two sunken features, pit-houses. A usual set of pottery consisting of bowl and vase shapes, situlas and situla-shaped pots was discovered in their fills. One of the features is well dated by two fragments of bracelets made of sapropelite. Settlement is dated to the Middle La Tène Period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As shown by the finds from the Dřemčice village in North Bohemia, even confrontation of available numismatic and archaeological sources and approaches often do not lead to unambiguous and correct chronological conclusions. Therefore, in cases of unknown or unclear finding context, it is important to apply all available methods based on typological, iconographical, metrological, metallographic data and other criteria. In selected cases, analyses of the artistic aspect of Celtic coins and their pictorial elements in the context of decoration of contemporaneous archaeological artefacts also seem to be of interest. To verify the approach, we selected a Celtic coin from the earlier phase of Central European Celtic coinage and we compared it with decorations of a Hungarian style sword. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article briefly presents the history of textile archaeology in Slovakia, the foundations of which were laid out by Karol Pieta. With his scientific curiosity and hunger for the new adventures, Karol Pieta has been crossing the boundaries of his discipline his whole life. The conditions for the preservation of organic materials are generally very unfavourable, which is why they were often overlooked by archaeologists. Interest for textiles first started with remains hidden in tubular anklets dated to the La Tène Period, initially noticed and studied by Karol Pieta. The most unique ones come from Nové Zámky and shed light on an embroidery technique of the Late Iron Age. The majority of prehistoric textiles in Slovakia are dated to the La Tène Period and it is comparable with finds from the Czech Republic and Austria. A find from an unknown location analysed in 2021, can with certainty be assigned to the corpus of La Tène Period textiles. It can be assumed that linen tabbies made of simple z-spun threads were preferred in this period. Textiles were found in different circumstances, usually mineralised on metal artefacts in graves. The primary use of these textiles was for clothing and ritual wrappings. A secondary use is evidenced by textile fillings of bronze hollow anklets. A Celtic female dress was reconstructed based on the position of artefacts found in the graves, as well on the observations of La Tène Period textiles, in particular the Nové Zámky embroidery. It is interesting to see, that textiles were apparently used as a code to reflect social and aesthetic values. In society they played an important role in the definition and expression of social space and of group relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]