In Early Iron Age Pomerania the custom of burial in richly decorated
urns became
widespread. These urns had modelled and incised decoration portraying human faces,
dress accessories and weapons. Figural representations were also common (stylised
human figures, hunting scenes, carts and horses in harness)
[
01],
[
02],
[
03],
[
04],
[
05].
This ornamentation provides a valuable source of information about
the life of Early Iron Age communities. The origins of face urns remains a mystery.
Some archaeologists believe that they derive from Etruscan Italy, where cremated
human remains were buried in similar vessels known as Canopic jars. Others think
that this tradition originated in northwestern Europe, where 'eye urns' appeared
during the Late Bronze Age. These vessels may have developed over time into face
urns, the finest examples of which appeared during the 6th century BC in Pomerania.
The custom of urn burial, together with new forms of graves, were gradually adopted
by societies throughout Greater Poland and ultimately reached as far as the territories
around the upper Pripet via the river-basins of the Vistula and the Bug.
1. A funeral ceremony. Stone slabs are removed from
a
family grave in order to
lay to rest the cremated remains of the individual inside the urn
[
25],
[
26].
2.
Cinerary urn from Rzadkowo, Piła District, with a face modelled in relief,
a breastplate depicted on the long, narrow neck of the vessel, and earrings adorning
its ears [
01].
3.
Face urn from Wymysłowo, Gostyń District, with incised representation of horses
in harness [
02].
4. Fragment of an urn with exceptionally realistic human face.
5-6. Two
urns with depictions of breastplates. In the first case the breastplate
is modelled in relief and shown with a fastening at the back [
06]. The incised
pictures of a breastplate and pin on the second urn were originally emphasized
with a white paste inlay [
04].
7.
Face urn with pierced ears modelled in relief and incised representations
of a breastplate and brooch [
05].
8.
Urns with stylised faces modelled in relief and ornate incised and dotted
decoration [
03].
9. Cup with incised representation of stylised anthropomorphic figures - accessory
vessel found in grave assemblage alongside urns.
10. This most sumptuous of artefacts -
a
bronze breastplate - comes from Mrowino,
Poznań District [
09],
[
10]. It consists of fourteen richly decorated segments
and an openwork fastening into which the ends of each segment are fixed; a bronze
bell is attached to the lowermost segment. Breastplates were probably worn as
shown by the female figure; the spiral bracelets on her arms come from the hoard
discovered in Rudka, Szamotuły District; trapezoidal pendants on chains hang
from her bronze earrings.
11.
Bronze breastplate with openwork fastening [
11].
12.
Swan's neck
pins with decorative heads
[
13],
[
14],
[
15],
[
16].
13.
Gold discs - ornamental pieces of sheet metal set in concave pinheads [
17].
14.
Earrings with glass and bronze beads [
22].
15.
Spiral bracelet [
12].
16. Segments of richly decorated breastplates.
17.
Brooches
[
18],
[
19],
[
20],
[
21].
18. Bronze, glass, amber and clay beads.
19. Ornamented cylindrical
bronze
beaker discovered in Parlin, Mogilno District
(probably imported from the south) [
23].
20.
Clay beaker - local imitation of bronze beakers [
08].
21.
Iron bit - part of a horse's bridle (probably an import from the Eastern
Alps) [
24].
22. Reconstruction of
a
cloche burial, in which the urn was covered with a large
upturned vessel, known as a cloche [
27],
[
28].
23. Large
globular
urns with pairs of lugs and applied pinched decoration became
very common in the 4th century BC [
07], as did large oval vessels with rough
surfaces and pinched rims, and various cups and bowls, the latter frequently
serving as lids for urns used in cloche burials.
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