Analysis of Pigments from Decorated Antler or Bone Artifacts from the Early Iron Age Princely Burial Mounds in Jalžabet (NW Croatia)

Saša Kovačević, Marina Van Bos, Marko Kralj, Marin Petrović, Ozren Gamulin, Marko Škrabić, Siniša Radović, Ina Vanden Berghe

Analysis of Pigments from Decorated Antler or Bone Artifacts from the Early Iron Age Princely Burial Mounds in Jalžabet (NW Croatia)

Číslo: 1/2023
Periodikum: Interdisciplinaria Archaeologica
DOI: 10.24916/iansa.2023.1.3

Klíčová slova: Early Iron Age (Ha D1 phase)Eastern Hallstatt cultureJalžabet-BistričakNW Croatiaprincely burial moundsdecorated bone or antler artifacts zooarchaeology colourants analysis (SEM-EDX, MRS, FT-IR)

Pro získání musíte mít účet v Citace PRO.

Přečíst po přihlášení

Anotace: During the Early Iron Age in Europe (EIA), the phenomenon of the Hallstatt culture enveloped a large portion of the European continent. Between the Atlantic Ocean and the River Danube, cultural groups can be roughly divided into two major regions: the Western and the Eastern Hallstatt circle. EIA fnds made from organic material decorated with pigments are usually well-preserved only in specifc conditions. A good example is the coloured textile found in the salt mines of the eponymous site Hallstatt (AT). Other examples are Scythian fnds north and east of the Black Sea, far outside the Hallstatt culture area. This paper presents the results of the analysis of decorated artifacts made from bone or antlers from Jalžabet (NW Croatia). The artifacts were found in two princely burial mounds with incinerated remains: burial mound 1 (Gomila) and burial mound 2. The funerary monuments belong to the Eastern Hallstatt culture and date back to the middle of the 6

th
century BC,
i.e.
, the end of
the Ha D1 period. A group of scientists from Croatia and abroad performed several series of analyses on the selected bone or antler artifacts. The motifs on the artifacts were made by incisions and were flled with black pigment, and there are faint traces of red pigment on the surface. With the help of colourant analysis performed in Brussels and Zagreb (SEM-EDX, MRS, FT-IR), zooarchaeological taxonomic identifcation, and archaeological determination of a selected group of fndings from Jalžabet, we have tried to answer several major questions. The most important question being: are the traces of pigments on artefacts deliberate decoration? If so, can we determine the composition of the paint? What kind of raw materials were used for the production of the artifacts? These questions are important because these kinds of EIA fnds are rare and even more rarely analysed. New data would considerably expand our knowledge about the funeral rites of the most prominent members of the Hallstatt nobility in the Drava River valley and Central Europe. Taxonomically, the raw material from which the fnds were made was identifed to be antlers, probably from red deer (
Cervus elaphus
). Using methods for colourant analysis, we have successfully proven deliberate application of black paint based on carbon black as a pigment, probably in combination with terpenoid resin. Until now, this composition was only known from much later, Roman-period fnds. Also, it was confrmed that the black paint on the artifacts from both burial mounds in Jalžabet is of the same composition. The red pigment on the fnds has been identifed as hematite. It is highly probable that the red surfaces were deliberate, painted decoration. The probability of extracting the raw material needed for the production of the red paint in the Jalžabet micro-region was also established and requires further research (bog iron ore). The archaeological analysis of the fnds supports the idea of the use of various types of decorated plates as inlays, probably on furniture or other luxury every items. Smaller fnds could have been used as utilitarian objects, parts of attire, and jewellery.