Reconstructions of the La Tène wagon wheels of Southeast Europe
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Emilian Teleaga
Summary
The examination in the relevant museums of the preserved metal parts of La Tène wagon graves of southeastern Europe enables, firstly, a precise determination of their function, and also the reconstruction of some wheels. The La Tène wheels were usually around 85 cm in diameter, hot iron tyres were pulled over the wooden felloes and fastened with a few additional nails (such as at Balsa or Toarcla). The wooden naves were reinforced with nave rings and pushed onto the axle-arm, the latter having a diameter of circa 5.5 cm. The axle nails prevented it from jumping off the axle-arm. In the case of the middle La Tène wagon wheels found at Curtuiușeni and the late La Tène chariot wheels found at Cugir, buffer rings with a band of circular fittings could be seen on the axle-arm between the axle nail and the nave head. In the case of Cugir the nave rings were made from cast bronze and the buffer ring claddings from wrought bronze.
Zusammenfassung
Die Untersuchung der erhaltenen Metallteile der Latène Wagengräber Südosteuropas in den Museen ermöglicht zunächst eine präzise Bestimmung ihrer Funktion, aber auch die Rekonstruktion einiger Räder. Die Latène-Räder hatten zumeist etwa 85 cm Durchmesser, über die Holzfelgen waren eisernen Radreifen in heißem Zustand gezogen und mit wenigen Nägeln zusätzlich befestigt (wie z. B. in Balsa oder Toarcla). Die Holznaben waren mit Nabenringen verstärkt und auf den Achsschenkel mit einem Diameter von etwa 5,5 cm geschoben. Die Achsnägel verhinderten das Herausspringen des Rades aus dem Achsschenkel. Bei den mittellatènezeitlichen Wagenrädern aus Curtuiușeni und bei den spätlatènezeitlichen aus Cugir konnten Pufferringe mit Bandkreisbeschlägen auf dem Achsschenkel zwischen Achsnagel und Nabenkopf nachgewiesen werden. In Cugir waren die Nabenringe aus Gußbronze hergestellt, die Außenverkleidung der Pufferringe aus Schmiedebronze.
Rezumat
Cercetarea pieselor din metal din mormintele cu care La Tène din sudestul Europei păstrate în muzee a permis mai întâi determinarea precisă a funcției lor dar și reconstrucția unor roți. Roțile La Tène aveau de obicei circa 85 cm diametru, peste obezile din lemn erau trase șine de fier încinse și fixate cu puține cuie (ca de exemplu la Balsa sau la Toarcla). Butucii din lemn erau întăriți cu inele de butuc și puse pe brațul axei cu diametru de 5,5 cm. Cuiul axului împiedica ca roata să sară de pe brațul axului. La roțile de car La Tène mijlocii de la Curtuiușeni și la cele La Tène târzii de la Cugir au putut fi documentate pe brațul axului inele-tampon acoperite cu benzi inelare între cuiul axului și capul butucului. La Cugir inelele butucului erau făcute din bronz turnat iar protecția exterioară a inelelor tampon din bronz bătut.
Article Note
In several study trips financed by former RGZM and Archaeological Institute “Vasile Pârvan” of Romanian Academy as well as by Alexander von Humboldt Foundation we documented in 2006–2011 and in 2022–2023 the chariots, the inventory and the human and animal remains from the wagon graves from Arnót, Balsa, Brežice, Cristuru Secuiesc/Székelykeresztúr, Cugir, Karaburma, Mezek, Odžaci, Tarinci, Toarcla, Vurpăr and Zvonimirovo in the museums from Alba Iulia, Cluj-Napoca, Cugir and Sibiu (Romania), Miskolc (Hungary), Sofia (Bulgaria), Sombor (Serbia), Štip (Nordmacedonia) and Brežice (Slovenia). Here I am publishing only some of the preliminary results of these extensive studies which will be published in volume 4 of the series SEAT soon. I thank to Dr. Robin Symonds for the proofreading of the text.
© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
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- Searching for islands of happiness – LBK settlement at Cząstków Polski site XII, Czosnów Commune in Mazovia, Central Poland
- Re-evaluating Cambaztepe in the Context of its Yamnaya (Pit-Grave) Origin, the Anatolian Trade Network and Possible Early Migrations towards Anatolia in the 3rd Millennium BC
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- Salt, clay, and society: Towards a reconstruction of salt-making chaînes opératoires in the Bronze and Early Iron Age in the Kraków–Wieliczka salt-bearing region
- Recycling Metal, Mobility and Connectivity. An Analysis of Rochelongue Underwater Site Assemblage (seventh–sixth BC) West Languedoc (France)
- Burials and Rituals in the La Tène Period: The Quadrangular Enclosure from Němčice
- Reconstructions of the La Tène wagon wheels of Southeast Europe
- Beyond cemeteries – excavation of a settlement of Poieneşti-Lucaşeuca Culture in Ivancea, Republic of Moldova
- Fragment of a Roman Period jug handle from Vanovice, Blansko District (Moravia, Czech Republic) – interpretation possibilities
- Horsemen in social structures of Central European Barbaricum – Analysis 1: grave contexts
- The Åker assemblage: Provenance and local workshop-traditions in the North Sea region in the late 6th and early 7th centuries
- Wissenschaft und prähistorische Forschung in fünf politischen Systemen. Robert Rudolf Schmidt (1882–1950) und die SS-Grabung Mauern 1937 bei Rennertshofen
Articles in the same Issue
- Titelseiten
- Abhandlungen
- On the chronology of the Vinča culture chronology: Vasić’s legacy of the Vinča-Belo Brdo datings
- Obsidian and Rock Crystal Artefacts as Prestige Finds Based on Raw Material Resources in Çine-Tepecik
- Searching for islands of happiness – LBK settlement at Cząstków Polski site XII, Czosnów Commune in Mazovia, Central Poland
- Re-evaluating Cambaztepe in the Context of its Yamnaya (Pit-Grave) Origin, the Anatolian Trade Network and Possible Early Migrations towards Anatolia in the 3rd Millennium BC
- Granhammar Man: axed down and thrown into the sea in Late Bronze Age Uppland, Sweden
- Salt, clay, and society: Towards a reconstruction of salt-making chaînes opératoires in the Bronze and Early Iron Age in the Kraków–Wieliczka salt-bearing region
- Recycling Metal, Mobility and Connectivity. An Analysis of Rochelongue Underwater Site Assemblage (seventh–sixth BC) West Languedoc (France)
- Burials and Rituals in the La Tène Period: The Quadrangular Enclosure from Němčice
- Reconstructions of the La Tène wagon wheels of Southeast Europe
- Beyond cemeteries – excavation of a settlement of Poieneşti-Lucaşeuca Culture in Ivancea, Republic of Moldova
- Fragment of a Roman Period jug handle from Vanovice, Blansko District (Moravia, Czech Republic) – interpretation possibilities
- Horsemen in social structures of Central European Barbaricum – Analysis 1: grave contexts
- The Åker assemblage: Provenance and local workshop-traditions in the North Sea region in the late 6th and early 7th centuries
- Wissenschaft und prähistorische Forschung in fünf politischen Systemen. Robert Rudolf Schmidt (1882–1950) und die SS-Grabung Mauern 1937 bei Rennertshofen
