Hail to the Chieftain. A detailed examination of grave goods from Dutch chiefly burials and their role in funerary rituals during the Hallstatt period.

A cluster of rich Hallstatt burials in the Lower Rhine Area, geographically distinct from the Hallstatt culture region, holds a special position within northwest Europe due to their relative wealth and early dating (Roymans 1991, 10). The Dutch Hallstatt burials are generally considered exceptional because they contain grave goods imported from the Hallstatt Core region. The Lower Rhine Area has traditionally been seen as the periphery, separated both geographically and cosmologically from the Core area. Recent discoveries, however, have called this traditional stance into question. In this thesis the four richest Hallstatt burials in the Netherlands, those from Meerlo, Oss, Rhenen and Wijchen, are examined. All artifacts from these graves, including ‘ugly’ and fragmented ones, were inventoried and photographed. During this work several previously unpublished and unknown objects were discovered. For the first time there is now a comprehensive and complete overview of the artifacts...Show moreA cluster of rich Hallstatt burials in the Lower Rhine Area, geographically distinct from the Hallstatt culture region, holds a special position within northwest Europe due to their relative wealth and early dating (Roymans 1991, 10). The Dutch Hallstatt burials are generally considered exceptional because they contain grave goods imported from the Hallstatt Core region. The Lower Rhine Area has traditionally been seen as the periphery, separated both geographically and cosmologically from the Core area. Recent discoveries, however, have called this traditional stance into question. In this thesis the four richest Hallstatt burials in the Netherlands, those from Meerlo, Oss, Rhenen and Wijchen, are examined. All artifacts from these graves, including ‘ugly’ and fragmented ones, were inventoried and photographed. During this work several previously unpublished and unknown objects were discovered. For the first time there is now a comprehensive and complete overview of the artifacts from these burials. This revealed that these burial contain (versions of) a specific set of grave goods that includes horse-gear and wagon components, drinking and feasting equipment, sword,paraphernalia associated with personal grooming and adornment, and tools in the form of an axe and knife. Close examination of artifacts revealed signs of wear indicating (at least some of) the grave goods are curated objects. It also established that many objects were manipulated, bent, dismantled, broken and in general made unusable prior to interment. Grave goods and possibly cremation remains were wrapped in precious textiles prior to being placed in an urn. The construction of the cinerary urn was undertaken with great care and was conducted in a structured manner. The information gathered from the grave goods was combined with other archaeological and historical sources to reconstruct the burial rituals that resulted in these rich burials. This work revealed the burial rituals to have been visual displays of transformation. The Early Iron Age people were creating a specific kind of burial containing specific grave goods treated in a particular way. The burial ritual was a transformatory spectacle meant to create and portray a specific identity or personhood for and of the deceased. This work has revealed much regarding the four individual burials examined, and is intended to serve as a starting point for further research into the ‘Hallstatt phenomenon’ in the Lower Rhine Area.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

Hail to the Chieftain. A detailed examination of grave goods from Dutch chiefly burials and their role in funerary rituals during the Hallstatt period.