06 - Celts on the Margin

STTS

,ffiffi Kffiffi

Stuciies in [.uropean Cultural Interaction

7th Century BC - 1st Century AD

Decf icatecl to ZENON WOZNIAI(

Eclitecl by

HALINA DOBRZANSKA, VINCENT MECAW PAULINA POLESI(A

Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Acaclemy of Sciences

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on the cover and title page: Face-beads from Mangalia and Pigcolt (see M. Karwowski,s paper in this volume)

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The territory of central Slavonia extends over thecentral section of the Slavonian Mountains, which divide

it from Eastern and Western Slavonia and surround the

PoZega Valley as a separate, closed whole. The plains

of the Drava and Sava Rivers lie to the north and south,

and these orovide natural communications with theDanubian zone to the east and the south-eastern Alpine

zone to the west. Since artefacts of the La Tdne culture

are largely known to come from the PoZega Valley, at-

tention has been focused on this closed geographic unit,

although this does not exclude individual finds from the

contiguous area along the Sava River.

The eastern slopes of the Slavonian Mountains and

the Orljava River are considered the western boundary

of the region inhabited by the Scordisci. Some settle-ments in this peripheral zone of their settlement area

stand out as indicating the presence of an autochthonous

Pannonian ethnic element linked to the Breuci. Commu-

nities which belonged to the tribal alliance of the Taurisci

who were settled west of Central Slavonia and the Papuk

and Psunj mountain chain. Therefore, central Slavonia is

an area where characteristics of all three of these ethnic

groups may be expected. The Orljava River served as

the most convenient transit route whereby influences

from as far away as Northern ltaly reached the PoZega

Valley. The reason for the intense interest of the Scordisci

and Taurisci in the PoZega Valley perhaps lay in thegraphite deposits on the northern slopes of Psunj and

the southern slopes of Papuk, which were widely used

in production of La Tene pottery (Dizdar, Potrebica 2002:

111-112). lt is precisely in these mountains that one can

recognise Pliny's Mons Claudius (NH. 3.25.148), which

separated the Scordisci from the Taurisci (Dizdar, Potre-

bica 2002).

The Late La Tene culturein central Slavonia (Croatia)

Mnnxo Drzonn, Hnvote Porneercn

The sites of the La Tene culture in the PoZega Val-

ley are mostly located along the Orljava and Londa Ri-

vers along the valley's eastern edge, while the lesserknown sites are situated in the western section. This fol-

lows the valley's orientation toward the south and the

region along the Sava River (Dizdar, Potrebica 2002: 113

fig. 1). A skeleton grave from Velika most likely belongs

to the Early La Tdne period. lt contains a large number

of bronze Early La Tdne zoomorphic fibulae, bronzebracelets, and amber and glass beads which belong to

the world of Early La Tdne fashion, while silver twisted

bracelets and fibulae of the Sanski Most type indicate

ties with Donja Dolina in the south. A question that re-

mains unanswered is whether this was a woman who

arrived from the Celtic area to the foreign, late Hallstatt

Pannonian zone, or whether this was a case of imported

costume items such as fibulae, bracelets and beads. Given

the costume consisted of a large number of zoomorphicfibulae, we tend to favour the view that this is the burial

of a Celtic woman who arrived here and used some of the

local jewellery forms (Dizdar, Potrebica 2002: 114-115pl. 14; MajnariC-PandZi6 1996: 36-37 fig. 1-2). A bronze

Early La Tete fibula with a duck's head from Bilad testi-fies to the fact that the grave from Velika is not the only

early find of this kind (Dizdar, Potrebica 2002: 115 pl. 7: 3),

as do the latest discoveries of the La Tdne pottery in the

Early lron Age settlement near Kaptol. In the most re-

cent horizon, which shows intensive traces of burning,

fragments of wheel-made pottery were found which,

based on the few typologically determinable fragments,

could belong to the Early La Tdne phase or the horizon

of late Hallstatt settlements. This unequivocally testifies

to the link between central Slavonia and the regions in

which the Earlv La Tdne culture existed. The so-called Dux

58 Marko Dizdar, Hrvoje Potrebica

5cm

Fig. 1. Mali Bilad. Shield-boss of Mokronog-Arqua Petrarcatype

horizon of La Tdne 81 is confirmed by finds from the

south-eastern section of the PoZega Valley, from Gradac

and Klasje, while bronze bracelets with plastic decora-

tion arranged in a cross pattern belong to the Middle La

Tdne phase (LT C; Dizdar, Potrebica 2002: 115).

The largest number of sites in the PoZega Valleybelong to the Late La Tdne phase, to which the majority

of open lowland settlements has been dated (Dizdar,

Potrebica 2002: 118). The finds from Mali Bilad, on the

western slopes of Dilj above the Londa River, also indi-

cate a Late La Tdne cemetery. A double warrior grave with

weapons and bronzes was found there by chance in

1994. Two swords in iron scabbards bearing Late La Tdne

characteristics were bent prior to deposition in the grave.

The swords are 95 and 97 cm long. They have a blade

with a regular width over its entire length and a roundedpoint. There is also a pronounced central rib down the

entire length of the blade. The hilt tangs end in smallcircular attachments. The hilt guards are bell-shaped andflattened at the top. The upper section of the front side

of the scabbard has a well-preserved mount in the formof double horizontal S-shapes, while the elongated sus-pension loop is located on the reverse. The lower part ofthe scabbard ends in a well preserved reinforcement orbinding strip. The swords, together with the other items,

date the grave to the early phase of the Late La Tdne

(LT D1), or at the end of the second or the beginning ofthe first century BC (Dizdar, Potrebica 2002: 113-114,116 fig. 2; Potrebica, Dizdar 2003:41). The same datinghas been ascribed to an iron fibula which belongs to thetype of plain wire fibulae of Middle La Tdne form, witha bow that thickens toward the spring with four coils linked

externally by bars (Potrebica, Dizdar 2003: 4142).fhegrave also contained several spears characteristic of theLate La Tdne graves of the Scordisci (BoZid 1 981 : 31 9,

322) while two Mokronog-Arqua Petrarca type shield-bosses also indicate that the grave belongs to the LT D1

phase (Potrebica, Dizdar 2003: 41).

One preserved shield-boss wing (Fig. 1) with distinctly

out-thrust ends has three small holes for rivets, of which

only one flat-heade rivet was found. The mid-section ofthe shield-boss is oval (Potrebica, Dizdar 2003: 41). This

is the farthest east that such a shield-boss has beenfound, that is, if one does excludes the fragment fromSrijemski Kadovci, which we believe belongs to theSkorba type of shield-bosses (Majnari6-Pand2i6, 1970:

46 pl. XXXIX 11). The difference between the Skorba

type of shield-boss and the Mokronog-Arqua Petrarca

type, besides the shape of the wings, also lies in thenumber of rivets. While the Skorba type of shield-bosshas one rivet on each wing, the other type has three ri-

vets on each wing.

So far four Skorba-type shield-bosses have been dis-covered at two sites in northern Croatia (Map 1). Twoshield-bosses of cross-section and fan-like wings werefound in disturbed cremation graves at Malunje (Majnari6-

PandZi6 1970: 34-35 pl. XX 6-7). The Skorba-typeshield-bosses were found in two warrior graves disco-vered during the excavations of the Middle La Tdne cre-

mation graves in Zvonimirovo in the area along the DravaRiver. A sword with later Middle La Tdne characteristics

was found in grave 2 with a scabbard decorated in the so-called Swiss style. There is also a spearhead with a long,

leaf-like blade with a pronounced central rib and a short

socket. The grave also contained a conical spear-shaftbutt, two plain Middle La Tdne iron fibulae, and fittings

consisting of a buckle and rings. In grave 1 5, a bent sh ield-

The Late La Tdne culture in central Slavonia (Croatia) 59

boss was found together with a sword, its scabbard with

a belt-fastening device and frame reinforcements on the

reverse side, a llc type spearhead with a long socket,

shears, a ring-like belt buckle, another plain Middle La

Tdne iron fibula, a pot and kantharos and four iron rings

used as reinforcements for a wheel axle. Both graves

date back to the youngest phase of burials investigated

up to the present and date from the middle and begin-

ning of the second half of the second century BC (Tomi6i6,

Dizdar, Tkal6ec, Lo2njak 2002).

The Skorba-type shield-bosses have been dated back

to the llb phase of the Mokronog group (BoZi6 1987:875fig. 45:5 pl. LXXXVII 4; BoZid 1999: 2'10). In addition tothe sites of the Mokronog group of the Taurisci, theseshield-bosses also appear amongst the finds from the

wider eastern Alpine zone during the more recent phase

of the Middle La Tdne (Gu5tin 1984: 333; Gu5tin 1991:

56-57 flg. 30; BoZi6 1999: 197; Gu5tin 200'l: 353; Lippert

1992:291-292fi7.3, pl. lll). Besides the aforementioned

shield-boss from Srijemski Karlovci, one of the eastern-

most finds from the Scordisci region is a fan-like wing

from Badko Gradi5te which exhibits signs of burning(Jovanovi6 1991:32 pl. lll 1). At the sanctauary site ofGournay-sur-Aronde this type of shield-boss is described

as type Vll and has been dated to the middle and begin-

ning of the second century BC (Rapin 1988: 82), which

corresponds to the dating of the shield-boss fromZvonimirovo.

The Mokronog-Arqua Petrarca type shield-boss, like

the Skorba shield-boss, is known from the Mokronoggroup sites and on the northern section of the CaputAdriae, where they have been dated to the early phase

of the Late La Tene or at the end of the second century

BC (Gu5tin 1991 : 57-58 fig. 30; BoZi6 1999: 198; Gu5tin

2001: 353; Gu5tin 2002: 15-16 fig. 2). The form of the

wings on the shield-boss from Mali Bilad most corre-sponds to the shield-boss with the three flat-headed riv-

ets from the Late La Tdne grave at Roje (Knez 1977: pl.

8:3) and from Strmec above Bela Cerkva (Stare 1973:

pl. 51:6) which represent an eastern variant widespread

in sites in Slovenial. Like the Skorba type shield-boss,

the Mokronog-Arqua Petrarca shield-boss indicates links

between central Slavonia and the Mokronog group sites,

as well as sites in northern ltaly.

Fragments of two bronze vessels indicate that the

double warrior grave from Mali Bilad belongs to the ear-

lier ohase of the Late La Tdne and its ties to the northern

Italy. Bronze ware, as imports, were found in the rich

cremation graves of Scordisci and Taurisci warriors (BoZid

1 We would like to thank Dr. Dragan BoZi6 from the Archaeo-logy Institute of the Slovenian Academy of Arts and Science inLjubljana for his extensive advice during the writing of this work.

1981 : 320; Gu5tin 1984: 327 ,338: BoZid 1987:878; BoZid

1999: 199). The fragment of the edge of a smaller bronze

vessel with a P-shaped cross section and two horizontalgrooves on the outside, and two horizontal grooves with

a rib between them on the inside (Potrebica, Dizdar 2O03:

42) was found in Mali Bilac. Because the fragment is so

small, there is an equal possibility that it is part of a semi-

spherical or conical cup of a type which was made ofsilver and may be dated to the earlier phase of the Late

La Tdne (Graue 1974:29-30). Cups of both forms have

been mostly found in the southern part of the Pyrenean

Peninsula and in Dacia. There are only a few finds out-

side of these areas, so it is believed that they were made

for the Northern ltalic and Gaulish markets (Feugbe

1991: 3 fig. a). Another possibility is that the fragmentbelongs to a late Republic type of strainer, which has

a similar form, although with holes. Like the fragmentfrom Mali Bilad, these strainers have two horizontalgrooves under the inside rim (Agostinetti 2000: 99 fig. 6).

Due to the fragility of the strainers, usually only the han-

dles are preserved. The strainers date back to the end ofthe second century BC to the Tiberian period, and theirwide distribution leads to the assumption that they were

also produced in Celtic settlements (Guillaumet 1991).

The bronze handles of a sieve were found in eastern Sla-

vonia (Map 1) in a Late La Tdne cemetery at Blato near

Vinkovci (Dizdar 2001: pl. 5:12), Dalj (Majnari6-PandZi6

1970: pl. Vlll 11) and Sotin (llki6 1999: pl XX 2 ).

In the grave in Mali Bilad there was also a bronze

bucket. The only preserved part of this vessel is a flatreinforcing rod of iron, with a polygonal cross-sectionand plate-like forged perforated ends, that was bentaround the bucket's neck. A part of the rivet was pre-

served in a hole which held the attaching hinge. Threecremation graves were discovered al Zmajevac nearSotin in eastern Slavonia; these were dated to the earlyphase of Late La Tdne. In grave I the burnt remains ofthe deceased and other items were placed in a bronze

bucket which was covered by a bronze patera. Thebucket was made from a single bronze sheet. Two iron

semi-circular reinforcing rods were found around the neck

of the bucket. They were attached by rivets that hold the

attaching hinge through which an iron handle had been

inserted. There are stylised swan heads on its ends. lt isbelieved that the semi-circular rods which hold the at-

taching rings indicate secondary repairs after the origi-

nal ones broke off. The buckets from the graves in Sotin

are considered the product of some domestic southPa n non ian workshop (Maj nari6-Pa n dZi6, 1 97 2-1 973 : 60-6'l pl. | 6). Grave I also contained a patera and a simpu-

lumlrom a drinking set, as well as a Laminci type buckle,

bronze band with protrusions and a bracelet, a fragment of

60 Marko Dizdar, Hrvoje Potrebica

Fig. 2. Paka. lron knife

a bronze belt ornamented with dashed elements, a bronzefibula with a cast triangular bow and a longer spnng, aniron fibula with a ribbon-llke bow, an iron twisted brace_let, an iron scraper, a spike and knives (Majnari6-pandZi61972-1973:56-57). On the basis of all of these findsthis grave is considered to be a double burial of a manand a woman. Two semi-circular rods with a round cross-section and plate-like, forged ends connected by rivetsto a preseryed hook and a handle that broadens at theends turned upward are chance finds from Karaourmain Belgrade (Todorovid 1971: 163 pl. LXXVI 1). Rods suchas those from Mali Bila6, Sotin and Karaburma werefound around the necks of the bronze buckets from thecremation grave at the Zubowice site in poland. Two rodshave plate-like forged ends which are connected by ri-vets and they hold the hooks through which the upturnedends of the iron handle have been pulled. Buckets foundin Spain are similar. These were dated to the secondhalf of the second century BC, while those from Zubowiceare considered the products of a Celtic workshop thatbelong to the first half of the first century BC (Wielowiejski1985: 157 fig. 2). A similar bucket was also discovereoin the River Kupa in Sisak (Hoffiller 1903-4: 99-101 flg.53: 4). Bronze buckets with rounded or tri-conical bod-ies and two semi-circular rods around the necks that heldthe hooks with a handle pulled through it were found atsites from Spain through France, where they were par-ticularly numerous at Vieille-Toulouse, and then at ltaliansites up to Poland. They were dated to the end of the se-

cond and the first half of the first century BC (Bolla, Boube,Guillaumet 1991: 11-13 figs 1:5).

The remains of two bronze vessels from the doublewarrior grave in Mali Bilad confirm the assumption thatthese are among the most important items in the gravesof a distinguished warrior class. This is best documentedby the finds from the Late La Tdne cremation graveswith weapons at Karaburma (Todorovi6 1972). At theeastern Slavonian sites from the Late La Tdne, bronzeutensils of northern ltalian origin were found at majorsettlements and cemeteries such as Dalj, Sotin, Orolikand Vinkovci (Map 1). These bronze vessels reachedthe Danubian area and the Scordisci as prestige goodsby trade routes from Aquilea through Segestica to theDanube. This route was described by Strabo (|V.6.10),who states that in exchange for wine and olive oil theexporters received slaves, livestock and leather (V.1.g).Bronze vessels were also imported for wine consump-tion. The Roman conquest of the Danube basin at theend of the first century BC followed the same roure.

One of the finds from the polega Valley, which isconsidered characteristic of Scordisci material culture,is a long iron knife with a curved blade and a handle inform of a flat tang with a preserved rivet-hole (Fig. 2).The knife was found at the village of paka, near Mali Bilad,on the western slopes of Dilj above the valley of the LondaRiver. The long iron spearheads with pronounced cen-tral ribs and short sockets that were found associatedwith the knife, indicate the existence of another Late LaTdne grave.

Knives with curved blades found at Scordisci siteshave been dated to the Late La Tdne phase of Belgrade 3(BoZi6 1981: 320 pl. 3:36, 9:8). Two types can be distin-guished, firstly, those which have no diagonal profile likethe knife from Paka, and secondly the sica type. A knifewith a flat tong handle with rivets on it and massive rein_forcement all along the back of the blade was found incremation grave lll atZmalevac in Sotin. lt has been datedto the earlier phase of the Late La Tdne period (Majnari6-PandZi6 1972-1973:58 pl. lV 2). A knife found in a LateLa Tdne grave in Donji Laminci in Bosnian posavina witha curved blade and a flat handle with rivets correspondsto the example from Paka (Truhelka 190j:21-2g pl. Vl 1).

A knife from Kupinovo also has a curved blade and a flathandle with small rivet-holes, while another has a diago-nal profile at the point where the handle and blade meet,which is why it has been classified as a sica type knife,and considered a product of Dacian workshops (Majnari6-Pand2i6 1970:32 pl. Xttt 13, XVt 5). The srba fighting knifefrom Sotin is considered a Thracian-lllyrian type whichthe Celts took from the autochthonous population andthen used it from the end of the Middle to the Late La

0 '10 c_

The Late La Tdne culture in centnl Slavonia (Croatia) 61

X BRONZE VESSELS

V UIIIBRO"SKORBA TYPE

r UMSRO"ARQUA"PETRARCA

. CURVIO KNIFE

0 2A 40 60 80 100 kn

Map 1. Northern Croatia. Distribution of La Tdne bronze vessels, shield-bosses of Skorba and Arqua Petrarka types, and curved knives

. FIBULAWITHTRIANGULARFORGEDBOW

Map 2. Northern Croatia. Distribution of fibulae with triangular forged bows

a EASTERN N0RIC COINS {Durdevac type, Sambor type, Varaidin type)

r THE SCOR0ISCI COINS {Sriism type A.C, Eastern Slavonian type)

Map 3. Northern Croatia. Distribution of Eastern Noric and Scordisci coins

62Marko Dizdar, Hrvoje potrebica

I#Fig. 3. lmrijevci. Bronze fibula

Tene (Majnari6-pandZic, 1970:43 pl. XXXVI 8). Acurved_blade sica knife with a flat-reed handle that has a holefor a rivet was found in the Late La Tdne cremation graveat Karaburna (Todorovi6 1972:35 pl. )fiXlV 6). A longercurved-blade sica combat knife was found by chance inZagreb; its blade ends in a plate_like forged handle withrivets on it. There is a diagonal profile at the point wherethe blade meets the handle (Majnari6_pan d2i6, 1970: 67pl. XXI 3). Other curved knives with wide plate_like han_dles bearing three rivets and oval plates at the pointwhere the blade meets the handle have been dated tothe Mokronog lllb phase, or the second half of the firstcentury BC (BoZic 1999: 211). Knives of the srba type areparticularly numerous in the Thracian_Dacian zone, wherethe blades and handles are often decorated. These knives,which had a certain symbolic significance as well, wereused for an extended period durlng the second and firstcenturies BC (Rustoiu 2002: 57_61 figs 3g_42).

Based on the available parallels, the knife from pakacan be dated to the earlier phase of the Late La Tdnephase and as part of the La Tdne cultural circle typicalof the Scordisci (Map 1). The same origin can be as_cribed to the pottery fragments found in setflements alongthe Orljava and Londa Rivers in the eastern section ofthe Po2ega Vafley (Dizdar, potrebica 2OO2: l1T pl. 6).The fibula finds from lmrijevci (Fig. 3) in the eastern partof the PoZega Valley also indicate the ties with easternSlavonia which was densely populated by Scordisci. A LateLa Tene bronze fibula with a triangular, ribbon cross_section cast bow with diagonal grooves at the end wasfound in lmrijevci. Only one loop of the spring was found,while the trapezoidal foot, although damaged, was un_perforated (Dizdar, potrebica 2002: 117 pl. T:4).

The bronze fibula with this form from the excavationsin Eastern Slavonia have triangular or leaf_like forgedlow bows with a ribbon-like cross_section, while the endshave two to three grooves or two groups of diagonally_set shallow grooves. The foot is rectangular or trapezoidaland unperforated, while the bottom is bent like a catch_plate. The fibula's spring consists of four internallv or

externally linked loops. Based on the bow designs, theyhave been classified into three variants; the first, undeco_rated variant that only have diagonal grooves at theirends, the second variant which has one or two engravedIines along the edges of the bow, and the third, whichhas an bow decorated with concentric circle motifs. Mostfibulae of all three variants come from the Late La Tenecemetery at Blato in Vinkovci (Dizdar 19g9: 120; Dizdar2001: 110 pl. 4:7,9-l i ). Two fibulae decorated with con_centric circles are known from the Late La Tdne sitePjeskana in Vinkovci (Majnari6_pa nd2i61970:66 fig. 5:3,pl. XXll: 2). Fibulae decorated with engraved lines at theedges come from the fortified setflement Dami6a Gradinain Stari Mikanovci (Dizdar 2001a:2g pl. 47:15) and Gra_dina in Marku5ica. Besides the setflements and ceme_teries in Vinkovci and its surroundings, bronze fibulaewith triangular or leaf-like forged bows are known fromother Scordisci sites in Eastern Slavonia and Srijem (Map2). Three fibulae from Sotin are known, of which onefibula has engraved lines along its edges, while the othertwo have a protruding rib or three diagonal grooves in themiddle of the bow The rectangular or trapezoidal foot isnot perforated, while the spring consists of four loooslinked internaily (ilki61999:39_40 pt. XXlt 7_9). Afibutawith a triangular, forged and undecorated bow was foundat the fortified setflement at Gomolava, where it wasdated to the second half of the first century BC (Jova_novi6, Jovanovic 19gg: g5 pl. XLll 7). Several fibulaewith this form, which have a trapezoidal, unperforatedfoot and an internally-linked four_loop spring, were foundon the banks of the Danube at Zemun in the far easrernpart of Srijem. In addition to those made of bronze, ironfibulae were also found (Todorovie 1971: 144_14g pl.LXV| 3-5,7, 11, LXVil 1_6, 8_10, 14, LXVilt 1). Threefibulae of this form with undecorated triangular bows,rectangular feet and internally or externally linked four_loop springs come from the Late La Tdne cemetery inDonji Laminci in the Bosnian posavina (Truhelka 190.1 :

21 figs 8-10). A fibula with a ribbon_like, forged bow deco_rated with engraved lines on its edges was found at DonjaDolina. The rectangular foot is not perforated, while thespring consists of four internally_linked loops. The fibulawas dated to the first century BC and is attributed to theNauheim type fibulae (Mari6 1963: 78 pl. ll 1 ; Maric 1964:50 pl. XX 13) and is considered the easternmost find ofthis type of Late La Tdne fibula (GuStin 19g4: 341). Be_cause of the imperforated foot and bow decorationmethod, this fibula, as well as the finds in Donji Laminci,are closer to the Eastern Slavonian finds than the clas_sic Nauheim fibulae.

The Nauheim fibulae from sites of the MokronogCultural Group have been classified into two tvpes de_

The Late La Tdne culture in centnl Slavonia Groatia) 63

pending on the cross-section and bow decorations, ofwhich both have short perforated feet. This sets them

apart from the Gaulic-Northern Alpine type, which is cha-

racterised by a foot on the frame, and from the Eastern

Slavonia-Srijem finds, which have unperforated feet. All

Nauheim fibulae from the sites of Mokronog group have

been dated to the earlier phase of the Late La Tdne (LT

D1), i.e. the Mokronog llla phase (8o2i61993; 141-143;BoZi6 1999: 118), which provides basis for dating the

fibulae from lmrijevci and the others from the sites in the

Vinkovci area. The Nauheim fibulae account for a largegroup of fibulae with various shapes which can be di-

vided into two basic groups. The finds from Eastern

Slavonia and Srijem are close to the fibulae from the

second group, with a trapezoidal foot that is most oftenperforated, although there are those that are not perfo-

rated. The triangular bow is decorated by punctures or

engraved lines, while there are diagonal rows at the end

of the bow. These fibulae have been found in both male

and female graves, and they have their origins in the

eastern parts of Padania and Veneto, but they are dis-

tributed throughout the southern and southeastern Al-pine zone where they were dated from the first half tothe beginning of the second half of the 1"tcentury BC

(Demetz '1999: 83 pl. 23:1-5).Bronze fibulae with forged, ribbon cross-section

bows, trapezoidal unperforated feet and springs with fouror more loops were also discovered at Dacian sites as

variant 8b of ore-Roman fibulae dated to the second halfof the first century BC and the first half of the first cen-

tury AD (Rustoiu, 1997: 41 fig. 34:3, 5-10). Nauheim

fibulae from Dacian sites, of which individual examples

are similar to the Eastern Slavonian finds, have local

forms with triangular, cast bows and trapezoidal feet ei-

ther openwork or solid. The spring consists of four coils

linked internally. Brooches of this type are dated to the

second half of the first century BC and the beginning ofthe first century AD (Rustoiu 1997: 46 tig. 47:1-8).

The bronze fibula from lmrijevci (Fig. 3) belongs toa group with low, ribbon-like bows cast into a triangularor leaf-like shape, and rectangular or trapezoidal unper-

forated feet. These appear in settlements and cemeter-

ies of the Scordisci in the earlier phase of the Late La

Tdne (LT Dl ). Three variants have been identified based

on the decoration of the bow. The type is particularly

densely distributed at sites around Vinkovci in eastern

Slavonia, and the view is that the brooches were produced

in settlements which seem to be fortified oroto-urbancrafts- and trade-centres (Dizdar 2001: 110). Given the

bow forms and their decoration, these fibulae are clos-

est to those of the second Nauheim group. The only dif-

ference is in the unperforated foot and the concentric

circle decoration on examples from the regions inhabited

by the Scordisci. As a result of the similarfties just reviewed,

we consider the Slavonian brooches to be variants of the

Nauheim fibulae characteristic for the Scordisci (Majnari6-

PandZi6 1970: 21 ,73; Dizdar 2001 : 110).

The various types of coins, whose minting can be

attributed to either the Taurisci or the Scordisci, are the

best evidence that central Slavonia was a periphery and

at the same time a contact zone between two different

Celtic ethnic groups inhabiting northern Croatia (Map 3).

Finds of Celtic coins in central Slavonia, like other La

Tdne cultural artefacts, are exceptionally rare. A frag-ment of a tetradrachm of the Durdevac type is a chance

find from Teki6 in the PoZega Valley and it is the only

example of a Celtic coin found as far south as the PoZega

Valley. Two Durdevac-type tetradrachms were also dis-

covered during excavations of the Late Bronze Age set-

tlement of Madkovac in the Sava basin (Karavani6, Miha-

ljevi6 and Kalafati6 2002: 49), where a Middle La Tdne

bronze fibula was also found (Brunimid 'l 989-1900: 70).

Four other tetradrachms of this type were found in the

settlement at Donja Dolina on the Bosnian side of the

Sava basin, where a comparatively large number of La

Tdne artefacts were found dating from Early to the end

of Late La Tdne (Mari6 1963: 79 pl. ll 11-12, 14-15:Mari6 1964: 49 pl. XXll 4; Popovi6 1987 . 145). DurClevac-

type tetradrachms fall under the category of eastern Noric

coins which, togetherwith the Samobor and VaraZdin type

coinage, have been recorded in larger numbers at sites

in north-western Croatia (Map 3), and they are associated

with the Taurisci tribal alliance (Dukat, Mirnik 1976: 190-192; Kos 1977: 46). The piece discovered at the fortified

Scordisci settlement at Gomolava in Srijem (Popovid 1987:

145) is the easternmost find of the Durdevac-type coin

while Noric silver coins of the Magdalensberg and Karl-

stein type were found at Sotin (llki6 1999: 48).

Coins of the Srijem and eastern Slavonian type have

been found in eastern Slavonia (Map 3). They are conside-

red to be products of mints of the Scordisci; these coins

occur at settlements and cemeteries dated from the sec-

ond half to the end of the first century BC (Popovi6 1987).

Donja Dolina is the farthest west that Srijem type coins has

been found (Mari61964:49 pl. XXll5; Popovi61987:50).The distribution of various types of coins confirms that

north-western Croatia was occupied by the tribal alliance

of the Taurisci, while eastern Croatia was occupied by

the Scordisci. These two Celtic communities came into

contact in the basins of the Sava and Drava Rivers, ormore precisely in central Slavonia. Numerous finds from

both sides of the Sava River confirm the importance ofthis transit route, which connected east and west, the

Danube basin with the south-eastern Aloine zone and

64Marko Dizdar, Hrvoje potrebica

further on to northern ltaly. But the contribution of theautochthonous pannonian ethnic component to thispopulation mix should not be overlooked. The currentphase of research into the Drava basin in the north ofcentral Slavonia has not produced finds which can leadto a more definite conclusion, although we expect to findevidence of a situation similar to the Sava basin. This isbest documented by the Middle La Tdne cemetery inZvonimirovo which we ascribe to the Taurisci, althoughsome finds do exhibit characteristics of the Scordisciculture. These two Celtic communities were atso men_tioned by Pliny (N.H. 3.28.149), who, as has been no_ticed already, states that they were divided by the MonsCtaudius, with the Scordisci in front of it and the Tauriscibehind. This unidentified mountain can be located in theSlavonian mountain chain comprising the peaks of papukand Psunj, and which is connected to smaller highlandssuch as Ravna gora, Krndrla, Dilj and the poZega Hills(Dizdaa Potrebica 2002: 11g-119). popovi6 also puts thewestern boundary of the setflement area of the scordisciin the Slavonian mountains; west of them are the Taurisci,while between them he places the pannonians (popovid1992-1 993: 15-16; see also his contribution to the pre_sent volume). The pannonians are the Breuci, who set_tled areas on both sides of the Sava River anct probablyalso in the poZega Valley. More recent research aroundSlavonski Brod has confirmed two differing componentsof the material culture during the late lron Age, one whichcorresponds to the Scordisci finds in eastern Slavoniaand Srijem, and the second which has its origins in thetraditions of the early lron Age (Dizdar, potrebica 2002:119). Based on the most recent research into the setfle_ments in the area around the Sava and Drava Rivers,the already mentioned third ethnic component has alsoDeen associated with the autochthonous pannonranpopulation. In the Sava basin this has been identified asthe Breuci and Oseriates; and in the Drava basrn as theAndizetei. They absorbed material elements of the moreadvanced La Tdne culture, while retaining some of theirown untque qualities. lt is very likely that, as in the caseof the lasi in north-western Croatia, the pannonian com_munities were concealed within the tribal alliances of theTaurisci or the Scordisci, only to have their own ethnicnames once more recognised when these two alliancesweakened and the Roman conquest began in the seconohalf of the first centurv BC.

The reason behind tne more prominent nature of thematerial culture of the Scordisci, particularly in the easrernsection of the poZega Valley, can be found in the lines ofcommunication which went from the Sava River arongthe Orljava and Londa Rivers northwards, to the southernslopes of the high peaks of papuk, which stand between

the Drava basin in the north and the poZega Valley inthe south. The highest Slavonian mountain, psunj, risesas a barrier in the west. Nevertheless, communlcationwith the Taurisci region in north_western Croatia was viathe few mountain passes, particularly across Ravna gora,which stands between papuk and psunj and the Voeinka,Pakra and llova River valleys that connect western Sla-vonia with the podravina. This route is marked by the LaTdne sites along the Vo6inka to the west of the poZegaValley and the recent discovery of a setflement at thepeak of Papuk at 950 m above sea level, whicn control_led this communication. The coins of the Durdevac typenave mosfly been found in north_western Croatia andprobably came to the region of the poZega Vahey acrossthe passes on papuk and psunj.

The ties between Donja Dolina and the Sava basinin the south, with the poZega Valley via the Ortjava andLonda Rivers were already established during the LateBronzeAge and early lron Age. During tate Hattstatt anOearly La Tdne, they were units of the same cultural circleas is documented by the grave from Velika and the set_tlement near Kaptol. Most sites in central Slavonra, to_gether with the poZega Valley, belong to the Late La Teneperiod. The eastern section of the poZega Valley, thanksto the routes which led from the Sava River atong theOrljava and Londa Rivers, was at the time chiefly influen_ced by the culture of the Scordisci. Bronze vessets ofnorthern ltalic origin came to Mali Bilad along tne sameroute. The proximity of the Sava, as a vital prehistorictransit route which linked the south_eastern Alpine zonewith the Danube basin, also determined the distributionof imported goods, particularly during the period of theearlier phase of the Late La Tdne period. The Mokronog_Arqua Petrarca shield-bosses were also introduced viathe same route. The existence of well_defined communr_cations during the later phase of the Late La Tene (LTD2) is additionaily proven by the chance find of a Jezerinetype fibula discovered in the area of Bilad (Dizdar, potre_bica 2002: 117 pI.7:S).

Thus it can be seen that Central Slavonia, which wastransversed by important transit routes along the Savaand Drava Rivers, and the poZega Valley, with its graphitedeposits, were areas which were highly prized by boththe Scordisci and the Taurisci. Since most of the setfle_ments and cemeteries located along the Orliava andLonda Rivers in the eastern section of the po2ega Val_Iey contain artefacts characteristic of the Scordisci, itmust be assumed that they in fact controlled the areawhere the Orljava flows out of the valley toward the Sava,the best entry point into the poZega Valley from the south.The imports of bronze vessels and weapons came fromthe west along the valley of the Sava River. This transit

The Late La Tdne culture in centnl Slavonia (Croatia) 65

route went through areas inhabited by the Taurisci, whichis why it should come as no surprise that there are findsbearing the characteristics of their culture. The third, andso far the least known component of the material culturebelongs to the autochthonous pannonian population,probably to be identified with the Breuci, who left an in_

delible trace in Roman historical sources. The task forfuture research is more clearly to define this component.

Marko DizdarInstitute of Archaeology

Ulica grada Vukovara 6g10000 - Zagreb

Croatiamarko.dizdar@iarh. htnet.hr

Hrvoje potrebicaUniversity oI Zagreb, Faculty of philosophy

Department of ArchaeologyL Ludi6a 3

HR-10000 ZagrebCroatia

[email protected]. hr

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