Fragmenting the Chieftain - Catalogue

There is a cluster of Early Iron Age (800¿500 BC) elite burials in the Low Countries in which bronze vessels, weaponry, horse-gear and wagons were interred as grave goods. Mostly imports from Central Europe, these objects are found brought together in varying configurations in cremation burials generally known as chieftains¿ graves or princely burials. In terms of grave goods they resemble the Fürstengräber of the Hallstatt Culture of Central Europe, with famous Dutch and Belgian examples being the Chieftain¿s grave of Oss, the wagon-grave of Wijchen and the elite cemetery of Court-St-Etienne.

The majority of the Dutch and Belgian burials were found several decades to several centuries ago and context information tends to be limited. They also tend to be published in Dutch or French or otherwise difficult to access publications. This research went back to the original reports and studied the objects found in these graves in detail. This generated new and evidence-based insights and interpretations into these exceptional burials and allowed for the reconstruction of the individual burial rituals. Fragmenting the Chieftain ¿ Catalogue presents the first comprehensive overview of the Dutch and Belgian elite graves (in English) and the objects they contain.

The results of an in-depth and practice-based archaeological analysis of the Dutch and Belgian elite graves and the burial practice through which they were created can be found in Fragmenting the Chieftain. A practice-based study of Early Iron Age Hallstatt C elite burials in the Low Countries.

Contents

C1 Introduction

C2 Terminology and typology

C3 Revealing restorations

C4 Baarlo

C5 Basse-Wavre

C6 Court-St-Etienne

C7 Darp-Bisschopsberg

C8 Ede-Bennekom

C9 Flobecq-Pottelberg Tombelle 78

C10 Gedinne-Chevaudos

C11 Haps grave 190

C12 Harchies-Maison Cauchies

C13 Havré

C14 Heythuizen-Bisschop

C15 Hofstade-Kasteelstraat Sp. 16

C16 Horst-Hegelsom

C17 La Plantée des Dames

C18 Leesten-Meijerink grave 1

C19 Limal-Morimoine

C20 Lommel-Kattenbos Tombelle 20

C21 Louette-St-Pierre Fosse-Aux-Morts

C22 Maastricht-Heer

C23 Meerlo

C24 Meppen

C25 Neerharen-Rekem tombe 72

C26 Oss-Vorstengraf

C27 Oss-Zevenbergen

C28 Rhenen-Koerheuvel

C29 Someren-Kraayenstark

C30 Someren-Philipscamping

C31 Stoquoy Tombelle 5

C32 Uden-Slabroek

C33 Venlo

C34 Weert-Boshoverheide

C35 Wijchen

Bibliography

CA1 Hallstatt period textile finds from the Netherlands

CA2 Inventory Chieftain¿s grave of Oss through three restorations