Hochdorf Chieftain's Grave

Fürstengrab von Hochdorf

Germany · Baden-Württemberg, Ludwigsburg

NecropolisExcavation completed
Approximate period530 BCE — 530 BCEEarly Iron Age See on the map ↓

In brief

The mound, fully excavated in 1978–1979, contained a rich, unlooted wooden burial chamber. Textiles and other organic remains were preserved alongside the metal objects.

What was found?

  • 1Bronze couch

    This is the bronze piece of furniture on which the deceased was laid. It demonstrates the careful arrangement of the grave and the application of metalworking to everyday furniture forms.

  • 2Gold neck ring

    This is a gold ornament found among the personal adornments in the grave. Together with other valuable objects, it indicates the person's privileged status.

  • 3Large bronze cauldron

    This is a large vessel produced in the western Greek world and placed in the grave with mead. It is important evidence for Mediterranean connections and practices associated with serving drink.

  • 4Nine drinking horns

    These are drinking vessels found hanging in the burial chamber. Together with other serving vessels, they show the place of communal eating and drinking in the grave furnishings.

  • 5Wagon and the vessels on it

    This is a wagon placed in the eastern part of the burial chamber. The feasting vessels arranged on it show that the vehicle was also part of the burial arrangement.

What does it point to?

The valuable jewelry, imported cauldron and drinking set indicate that wealth was incorporated into the funerary arrangement. According to researchers, graves of this kind are associated with early Celtic elites; the titles prince or chieftain used for the individual are not documented official titles.

What did it teach us?

  1. It enabled the arrangement of objects in an unlooted elite grave to be documented in detail.
  2. It showed that a vessel of Mediterranean origin reached an elite grave north of the Alps.
  3. Textiles and other organic remains revealed that the grave furnishings were far more varied than the metal objects alone.

Images

Hochdorf bronze container, greek lion, detail
Xuan Che · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Hochdorf golden shoes ornaments
Rosemania · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Hochdorf drinking horn
Chez Cåsver (Xuan Che) · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Keltenmuseum Hochdorf 01
MSeses · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Record

Culture
Hallstatt; early Celtic
First modern dig
1978
Team / historical
Jörg Biel; Baden-Württemberg State Office for Monument Preservation
Coordinates
48.8892°, 9.0033°

Sources

  1. keltenmuseum.de
  2. laits.utexas.edu
  3. en.wikipedia.org

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