Archaeoforum.de

Could you do me the favour, Steve, of posting the illustration I sent you last night?... I still don't know how to. Of course, if you tell me how, I'd do it myself!

Kelvin

Hello everyone, Steve in particular,

In May of last year Steve published an anthromorphic swordhilt on this forum, showing a very peculiar hairstyle in undeniable detail... it has fascinated me ever since, especially as I was then in the furor of collecting material for a book I plan to make: "Tribal Europe", a caleidoscope of prehistoric costume.

In fact, this forum is one of my richest sources, as I am often surprised by what members share with each other... hitherto I had not known there were birchbarkhats other than that from Hochdorf, or enjoyed seeing the Glauberg harness tested in reality.
Anyway, I have now a synopsis for the book, and outside interest to hawk it about. "Time, then", I thought, "to make a few of the illustrations!".

As a thank-you, a "Herzlichen Dank!" , to the members of this forum, I will sneak preview you the first. And yes, it's that swordhilthaircut.... Steve has been so kind to create a link:

http://archaeoforum.freehost.ag/Userbil ... anding.jpg

I hope you all like it and are, as I am, surprised at the high level of stylization. I myself have, laughing, compared him to David Beckham in his long-hair days, I have quietly thought of Sumo wrestlers...

Meanwhile, there is still a 'problem' with the original object: no-one knows where it comes from, or what its exact date is.
My own research has shown it to resemble a sword from Mainz dated to the 1st century BC: http://members.tripod.com/Preachan/icons/morphic.gif (the hilt on the right!)
Here is another example, also from the 1st century BC:
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/04/euw ... .94a-d.htm

For another 'Zopfen'-look, you should also look at http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ukdfddata/showre ... =18&page=1 ...the images can be enlarged. To me, though, the stylization on this one is not depicted as 'true-to-life' as on our example, and therefore may just be, well, play.

There. That's it.
I hope this spurs on a new discussion that helps identify the mystery-object. Meanwhile, look out for Steve's painfull reallife reconstruction!

Best wishes, and to you all: thank you,

Kelvin Wilson

...well, I said the alternative 'Zopfen' hairstyle didn't look convincing to me because of the way that the braids don't terminate at the end.

And then I found this: http://www.longhairlovers.com/braider_sabin.html

If I am not mistaking, there are hairstyles here that match the Celtic braids exactly!


Kelvin Wilson

GOT IT!!

A British archeologist mailed me this this morning:

"The provenance is Châtillon-sur-Indre. It was from a burial along with
other items. It is now at Nantes museum.
See:
- Clarke, R. R. and Hawkes, C. F. C. 'An Iron Anthropoid Sword from
Shouldham, Norfolk, with Related Continental and British Weapons' Proc.
Prehist. Soc. 21: 198-227.
- Jope, E. M. _Early Celtic Art in the British Isles_, Oxford, 2000, p.258
Plate 133 k-m. (3 views, back, side and front)"

I am very happy... now I still need the date.

Kelvin Wilson

Got it, again:

http://www.culture.cg44.fr/Musee/collec ... ombe1.html


Date? 30-20 BC. From the tribal area of the Gaulish Bituriges.

Great, Kelvin! Thank you a lot!!


Für die nicht so des gallischen mächtigen:

http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... uage_tools

It gets even better... here's most likely the front of the swordhilt:
http://www.culture.cg44.fr/Musee/collec ... s_fer.html

I overlaid the two photos, and they are a perfect match. It does mean I will change a few things in my illustrations... make the hair less flat on the front!

Kelvin

This description of the swordhilt http://www.culture.cg44.fr/Musee/collec ... ombe5.html suggests that the hair is not tied in the neck with a knot, but with a broche...

Kelvin