engleski

Riders on the Storm – The Late La Tène Bronze Buckles of the Horse Gear in the Southeastern Carpathian Basin

During the Late La Tène, there was a noticeable increase in the items of horse gear at the sites in the southeastern Carpathian Basin associated with the Scordisci. Since they are mostly chance finds known since the end of the 19th century, it was more difficult to identify them as items of horse gear. However, the latest analyses, greatly helped by the discovery of a Late La Tène sanctuary in Osijek, have shown that it is a large and exceptionally heterogeneous group of objects that can include bronze buckles with a simple zoomorphic prong and corner protrusions of the Karaburma type. The discovery of buckles in rare funerary complexes – the most important of which is the richly equipped warrior grave 92 from the Karaburma cemetery – allows their dating to LT D1. Aside from the sites associated with the Scordisci, bronze buckles with protrusions at the corners were found in neighbouring areas and had been assumed to be belt buckles. On the other hand, bronze buckles of the Sisak type with a zoomorphic prong were found more to the west ; they are considered to be the predecessor of the belt buckles from the Noricum-Pannonian female belt sets. The large number of items of Late La Tène horse gear at the sites of the Scordisci and in the distribution area of Padea-Panagjurski Kolonii group indicates the existence of a warrior horsemen elite which was the leading social and economic force in the Late La Tène, regardless of their affiliation to different communities ; their identity in the graves was emphasised not only by weaponry and prestigious items, but also by items of horse gear.

Late La Tène ; bronze buckles ; horse gear ; southeastern Carpathian Basin ; warriors ; riders ; identity

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