Page 56 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 12(1) (2024)

Slabe, M. 1975. ‘Antični grob iz Šahovca pri burial plots and 131 graves. Eight House urns were also
Dobrniču.’ Arheološki vestnik 26:242–249. placed in four of these graves. The proportion of graves
Stemberger Flegar, K., and P. Predan 2022. containing House urns at Ribnica near Brežice repre-
Medvedjek–Gmajna. Arheologija na sents only three percent of all graves. Based on the walls'
avtocestah Slovenije 103. Ljubljana: Zavod shape, door openings, and the roof and button-like fin-
za varstvo kulturne dediščine Slovenije. ish, they can be classified into three basic forms with sev-
Šašel, J. 1975. ‘Rimske ceste v Sloveniji.’ In eral variations (H 1: H 1.1–H 1.3, H 2: H 2.1–H 2.2, and
Arheološka najdišča Slovenije, edited by L. H 3). The most exciting form of House urn is form H
Bolta, 74–81. Ljubljana: Državna založba 3, which consists of two parts. The lower part was made
Slovenije. using a bowl of the Drag. 25 type, into which doors were
Šašel, J. 1977. ‘Viae militares.’ In Studien zu subsequently cut; the upper part of the urn utilized a
den Militärgrenzen Roms II, edited by D. conical lid with a horn-shaped curled edge. So far, the
56 Haupt and H. G. Horn, 334–244. Köln: find from Ribnica near Brežice is the only known exam-
Rheinland. ple of a two-part House urn.
Šašel Kos, M. 1984. ‘Prerez čez zgodovino The problem of interpreting House urns in the re-
studia universitatis hereditati, letnik 12 (2024), številka 1 / volume 12 (2024), number 1
celejanskih prebivalcev v luči onomastičnih gion of south-eastern Slovenia and north-western Croa-
in prozopografskih podatkov.’ Živa antika tia has sparked a lively debate among numerous authors.
34:252–255. They generally agree that these urns played a significant
Tomaž, A., I. Lazar, and D. Breščak. role in burial rituals. Peter Petru, in his work from 1971,
Forthcoming. Ribnica pri Brežicah II: linked House urns to the community of the Celtic tribe
Romula, cesta in grobišče. Ljubljana: Zavod Latobici, which inhabited this area from the second half
za varstvo kulturne dediščine Slovenije. of the first century BC onward. His thoughts and con-
Udovč, K. 2022. Draga pri Beli cerkvi. clusions have been summarized by numerous other au-
Arheologija na avtocestah Slovenije 101. thors, including Zoran Gregl. Borut Križ speculated
Ljubljana: Zavod za varstvo kulturne that the urns, in a spiritual-religious sense, represented a
dediščine Slovenije. special form of final resting place and indicated a strong
Uršič, A. 1985. ‘Rimsko grobišče na Velikem belief in the afterlife. Phil Mason attempted to spatial-
Kamnu.’ In Veliki Kamen, edited by M. ly and ideologically connect the occurrence of House
Guštin, 19–32. Brežice: Posavski muzej. urns to the settlement patterns of the younger Iron
Vojaković, P., and M. Novšak. 2022. Drnovo Age and the contemporary Celtic communities. Lat-
2. Arheologija na avtocestah Slovenije er, he and Bernarda Županek linked House urns to the
104. Ljubljana: Zavod za varstvo kulturne elements of the Noric-Pannonian tradition, highlight-
dediščine Slovenije. ing the mixing of local cultural identities with new ones
brought by Romanization.
Summary Given the newly discovered House urns, their
Since their first discovery over 200 years ago, house- number, diverse shapes, production technology, deco-
shaped urns, or simply House urns, have aroused con- ration, and the longevity of their use, we are faced with
siderable attention. Numerous researchers have written a compelling need for further research. We assume that
about them, with Peter Petru's work from 1971 particu- these urns were produced in different workshops, which
larly standing out in the field of study. challenges Petru's hypothesis about a centre for the pro-
During archaeological research at the site of duction of House urns in the area of Roman Neviodu­
Ribnica near Brežice (the Roman roadside station of num. Instead, it seems they were made upon the buyer's
Romula) between 2001 and 2004, extensive settlement order. The latest reflections on them also suggest that
remains of the station and part of the Roman road Em­ we could view their role in burial practices from a dif-
ona–Neviodunum–Siscia were excavated, along with ferent perspective, not necessarily in connection with
the western necropolis of Romula, which featured four prehistoric tradition, primarily evidenced by their tem-