Page 37 - Kavur, Boris. Everything counts (in small amounts) … Koper: University of Primorska Press, 2015.
P. 37
Not by the sword … 37
Weapons and equipment of warriors
from Formin
Although most of the attention is owing to their rich decoration focused on the swords, there were also
numerous other finds discovered in Formin. These are mostly elements of weaponry and warriors’ at-
tire – iron spearheads, iron belt chains, knives, scissors, razors, shield bosses and especially larger iron
fibulae.
Fibulae were mostly made from iron. Among them stand out several fragments of larger fibulae with a globule
on the bow and a fragmented fibula of Mötschwil type - the latter could be included in the not numerous var-
iant Gemeinlebarn which has two ribs decorated with oblique incisions on the bow – one on the “head” and
one on the foot below the clamp. Finds of these fibulae have an interesting distribution. They are known from
Dühren and Manching in Bavaria, Gracarca in Koroška as well as Podzemelj and Formin in Slovenia. They were
dated in the later part of Middle La Tène period and considered being heralds of new connections and influenc-
es coming from the territory of Central Europe.
When discussing relations between genders of the buried on Celtic cemeteries several authors noted the exis-
tence of larger unbalanced cemeteries in the Middle La Tène period. And Formin is one of them. Despite the
lack of contexts we can assume, based on the preserved artifacts, a larger proportion of male burials – an excep-
tionally large proportion of graves with weapons. It seems that on the central part of the Carpathian basin exist
female dominated, while on its fringes male dominated cemeteries. Owing to the obsession with Celtic inva-
sions towards the south, numerous experts saw in them the gathering of armies for the march towards Macedo-
nia and Greece. But the cemetery in Formin demonstrates that it is more plausible to see in them a larger mili-
tarization of all bordering regions.
Weapons and equipment of warriors
from Formin
Although most of the attention is owing to their rich decoration focused on the swords, there were also
numerous other finds discovered in Formin. These are mostly elements of weaponry and warriors’ at-
tire – iron spearheads, iron belt chains, knives, scissors, razors, shield bosses and especially larger iron
fibulae.
Fibulae were mostly made from iron. Among them stand out several fragments of larger fibulae with a globule
on the bow and a fragmented fibula of Mötschwil type - the latter could be included in the not numerous var-
iant Gemeinlebarn which has two ribs decorated with oblique incisions on the bow – one on the “head” and
one on the foot below the clamp. Finds of these fibulae have an interesting distribution. They are known from
Dühren and Manching in Bavaria, Gracarca in Koroška as well as Podzemelj and Formin in Slovenia. They were
dated in the later part of Middle La Tène period and considered being heralds of new connections and influenc-
es coming from the territory of Central Europe.
When discussing relations between genders of the buried on Celtic cemeteries several authors noted the exis-
tence of larger unbalanced cemeteries in the Middle La Tène period. And Formin is one of them. Despite the
lack of contexts we can assume, based on the preserved artifacts, a larger proportion of male burials – an excep-
tionally large proportion of graves with weapons. It seems that on the central part of the Carpathian basin exist
female dominated, while on its fringes male dominated cemeteries. Owing to the obsession with Celtic inva-
sions towards the south, numerous experts saw in them the gathering of armies for the march towards Macedo-
nia and Greece. But the cemetery in Formin demonstrates that it is more plausible to see in them a larger mili-
tarization of all bordering regions.
