An Early Bronze Age Burial with a Golden Spiral Ring from Ammerbuch-Reusten, Southwestern Germany

A women’s burial of the Early Bronze Age that was uncovered near Ammerbuch-Reusten, Tübingen district in autumn 2020 shows clear relations to burial rites of the Final Neolithic in central Europe. The only grave good was in the rear of the burial. A small spiral ring made of gold wire at the left side of the burial at hip level, which can be considered to be the earliest securely dated precious metal find in southwestern Germany. The find fits into a small series of early spiral rings made of gold wire, which are among the oldest precious metal finds in central Europe. Its composition with c. 20 % silver and less than 2 % copper as well as traces of platinum and tin indicates the use of a naturally occurring gold alloy, most likely from so-called alluvial deposits obtained by panning from rivers. The trace element pattern strongly suggests that this type of gold derives from Cornwall, specifically from River Carnon. The burial matches a group of other burials from the Bronze Age on the plateau and is apparently related to a hilltop settlement on the nearby Kirchberg of Reusten.

The Nitrianska Blatnica II hoard: The hoard horizon of Lusatian culture in the Ha C1a period in Slovakia

This paper synthesises and analyses archaeological data on the Nitrianska Blatnica II hoard of metal artefacts (Ha C1a; 800–725 BC) from the hilltop settlement of Marhát. Currently, this is the largest metal deposit from the Final Bronze Age in Slovakia, providing a fundamental chronological synchronization of the Ha C1a sub-phase with Northern Italy and Central and Southeastern Europe. A spectral analysis of the serial circular jewellery shows a uniform origin from a unique metallurgical workshop and contributes to the scientific discussion with important data on economic operations in the Carpathian Basin. The closest analogies to the bronze vessels and gold cylindrical earrings come from the most important contemporary sites of the Hallstatt and Mezöcsát cultures and stimulate the notion of a large intercultural trade in prestigious goods and the practices of the aristocratic population of the Final Bronze Age in Central Europe.