At the beginning of the early La Tene period, the grave assemblages can also be shown to retain Hallstatt cultural elements. This is true for weaponry and for style of dress - in both, close contacts with northern Italy and Slovenia are apparent. The addition of lances to the warrior’s equipment in eastern Celtic graves accords well with male graves m other contemporary cemeteries. Lances are part of standard equipment for warriors, as can be deduced from representations of fighting men on situlae (Frey 1968, 1969; Stary 1981a, 1981b). Battle-axes were used predominantly m the south-east alpine regions; they occur less commonly in the north. Sword and scabbards from well-dated grave complexes were current from the fifth century BC onwards. The scabbard and chape-end were particularly finely decorated in many of the earlier examples (Figure 30.5). The sword was initially worn with a belt (Figure 30.6) and was only later suspended from a chain (Rapin and Brunaux 1988; Rapin 1993; Szabo-Petres 1992).
In early examples, triangular perforated belt-hooks were attached to the leather and often have decoration with an apotropaic function (Lenerz-de Wilde 1980; Megaw and Megaw 1989b; Serafini 1984, 1993). Their distribution has important centres in northern Italy and also in the eastern Alpine region. In recent years there has been a major controversy over the question of whether the previously mentioned artefactual assemblages described from Venetian cemeteries could be regarded as
Figure 30.6 ‘Plastic’-dccoratcd sword from the Szob cemetery (third century Bc:, Hungarian National Museum, Budapest). (After Szabo and Petres 1992.)
Evidence for the early appearance of Celts in Italy (Frey 1987, 1991b). Alternatively, it has been suggested that the distribution of these objects may be a side effect of trade links of key importance. Trading between Italy and the areas north of the Alps intensified following the end of the sixth century BC. This latter region was of outstanding importance for the emergence of La Tene culture (Kruta 1983, 1986,
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The same is true of rectangular belt-plates/plaques which, in addition to the masked figures, have certain motifs and decorative techniques which reflect cultural contact with the Etruscans and the Veneti (e. g. Ossarn, Stupava, etc.) (Megaw, Megaw and Neugebauer 1989). Box-shaped iron belt-hooks occur by the time of the most recent La Tene A horizon and are predominantly associated with early La Tene Draht - (wire) or bird-head fibulae (Parzinger 1988).
The range of fibulae in the Celtic east shows, as it did in the earlier part of the Iron Age, a strong affinity with eastern alpine types (Figure 30.7). People initially wore bow - or boat-shaped fibulae or the local variants of these, and later the various types
Figure 30.7 Cast-bronze brooches ornamented in ‘pseudo-filigree’ manner from flat grave cemeteries, i - Rezi, Balatoni Museum Keszthely, Hungary; 2 - Cluj, History Museum Cluj, Romania; 3, 5 - Osijek, Museum Osijek Hrvatska; 4 - Brezice, Posavski Museum, Slovenija (third-second century BC). (After Szabo 1992.)
Of Certosa fibulae. The fibulae of the Hallstatt/La Tene transition are hybrid forms. They are correctly interpreted - like the La Tene foot-shaped fibulae - as distinctive variants of the latest Hallstatt crossbow fibulae. The fibulae with handformigen Biigel{}) and bent-back footplates are a similar case. They not only show advanced typological features, but they are also decorated with La Tene motifs.
The animal-form fibulae hybrid forms and so-called exceptional forms area of particular interest because they can often shed light on the development of particular stylistic elements (Pauli 1978; Binding 1993).
The late La Tene A phase is also characterized by the eastern alpine animal-head fibulae. Their distribution stretches as far as the periphery of the eastern early La Tene cultural province and is densely concentrated m the inner alpine region. They occur quite frequently at sites where a connection with the south and south-east is suggested by other finds (Jerem 1968; Parzinger 1988; Terzan 1976, 1990).
Women’s and children’s burials are characterized by a great variety of neck ornaments (Figure 30.8). The composition of bead necklaces (beads of glass, amber, coral and cowrie shells) allows different trade networks to be traced; while amulets may be suggestive of commonly held religious beliefs or superstitions (Pauli 1975; Venclova 1990).
Apart from the neck-rings, which may indicate special status m society or in the family, we have arm - and foot-rings too; their number and place within the graves shows regional differences (Lorenz 1978; Bujna 1982).