Hallstatt and Latene Period

In 1894, an iron dagger was discovered in the vicinity of Vršac in Serbia and later given to the City Museum. Afterwards, this dagger had been repeatedly entered in various archaeological publications illustrating the different cultural phenomena and processes of Early Iron Age at Middle Danube. The first Scythian akinakai reach the Great Hungarian plain in the Early Scythian period, but not later than at the turn of 7th—6th centuries BC (e.g. strayfinds of bronze and bimetal daggers). Nevertheless, the bulk of the Scythian swords and daggers are part of the Middle Scythian period. Probably, the first funeral complexes are associated with the period of transition from the Early Scythian stage to the Middle one during the early 6th century BC, and several strayfinds (of the Šumejko and Vettersfelde types) with the beginning of Middle Scythian period at 1st half of 6th century. The single-edged sword (from the grave at Bátmonostor) and the bulk of the strayfinds of the Nógrád type could be also connected with the first part of Middle Scythian period during the 6th century BC. By the end of Middle Scythian period, in the 1st half of the 5th century BC, appear swords and daggers decorated with the elements of Animal style and “segment”-like hilts, among which the akinakes from Vršac could be also placed.

Abstract: Secular and sacral monumentality are not uncommon in the surroundings of the Heuneburg near Herbertingen-
Hundersingen (Kr. Sigmaringen). This concerns both the settlement and defensive architecture of the acropolis, the
lower settlement, and the surrounding cemeteries. Particularly the latter, with their many large tumuli, define the
landscape around the late Hallstatt hilltop settlement.
Of those barrows, the ‚Hohmichele’ stands out with its diameter of c. 78 m and a height of about 13,5 m. Its
immense size suggests a considerable chronological depth, which, however, is not supported by the excavated burials.
Rather, the burial mound seems to have been constructed and built up to its final size in a comparatively short
interval of time. This puts it into a big contrast to the barrows in its immediate vicinity and the majority of other
burials in the vicinity of the Heuneburg.
The sizeable dimensions of the tumulus and the impression of a long and distinguished ancestry created by it
can doubtlessly be interpreted as a statement of social and political pre-eminence by the burial community. At the
same time, the amount of labour invested into it in the context of the emerging or recently emerged Heuneburg also
demonstrates a distinct status competition between different social units.
The strongly traditionalist, genealogical justification of an elite social position, as it is expressed par excellence
by means of giant barrows like the ‚Hohmichele’, however, is just one of several possible strategies to express status.
The extraordinarily conservative burials and actions there are contrasted in other places by various new and
innovative elements, which demonstrate the social ascent and claims of other persons and groups in the area around
the Heuneburg.

In the context of the Czech Republic, the well-known Býčí Skála Cave has been re-evaluated from 2015 to 2017. After the collecting new and reviewing older data in years 2007–2014, it was gradually presented in two monographs ‒ Býčí Skála Cave: History and Prehistory (Oliva et al. 2015) and The Phenomenon of Býčí Skála Cave (Golec 2017). This text considers a role of the Býčí Skála Cave (Bull Rock Cave) to people of the Hallstatt period. The article brings two new insights. The cave was used in 16 of 19 time periods, since the Paleolithic until the Present. The reasons why people were entering this cave were regularly changing, even during one period (speleoarchaeology). We see the frequently discussed Hallstatt period as a case study of this cave. The groups of findings from the cave indicate four different activities. The issue of a multifunctional space of the human world is discussed. The second new insight is information about paths in the Drahanská Vrchovina Uplands (LIDAR). This uninhabited hilly, woody landscape provided different functions in the past (hunting, gathering, pasturage, transporting, rarely encountering) – B type landscape, than flatland areas around it (habitation, farming, transporting and usually encountering) – A type landscape (landscape archaeology). The Hallstatt period conditions of the cave, which was in a communication node in a centre of B type landscape, were generated by people from an A type landscape (social networks).

Diese Veröffentlichung beinhaltet einen Überblickstext betreffend die geschichtliche Entwicklung der östlichen und südlichen Randgebiete des Waldviertels übergreifend in das Weinviertel und in den Bereich der südseitigen Gebiete der Wachau und des Dunkelsteinerwaldes. Im anschliessenden Exkursionsführer werden wichtige Erscheinungen in Wort und Bild hervorgehoben.  H. Puschnik hat für diese Veröffentlichung einen Aufsatz über  "Die Steinmetzfamilie Pracht (1667 - 1924)" auf den Seiten 21 bis 32 beigesteuert und Werner Vasicek seinen "Kurzführer durch das Krahuletzmuseum" auf den Seiten 40 bis 47. Das Buch ist reich bebildert.

DUBUIS B. – Autour de la tombe princière de Lavau : la représentation des élites au Ve siècle avant notre ère, in DOHRMANN N. et RIQUIER V. dir., Archéologie dans l’Aube, des premiers paysans au prince de Lavau, Catalogue de l’exposition ArkéAube, p. 234-245.