Hallstatt Culture
(1200 BC to 500 BC)
What happened?
Bronze Age to the Iron Age, the Hallstatt culture was the predominant culture in Europe. It is often associated with the pro-Celtic population. The culture is named after the village of Hallstatt in Austria, where there was a salt mine and about 1.300 graves are known. Many contain beautiful artifacts.
The Hallstatt culture is eventually subdivided into four periods. The first two relate to the Bronze Age, while the other two are in the Iron Age. By the 6th century BC, the Hallstatt culture had expanded into much of western and central Europe, as far as the Alps and Northern Italy with parts of Great Britain and the Iberian Peninsula.
The culture was based on agriculture, but metalworking was advanced and part of trade. Social differences became more important with emerging elite classes of chieftains and warriors. Society was based on tribal basis.
Hallstatt Bracelets
± 400 BC
The Hallstatt culture is known for its large burial mounds or tumuli. In the 7th century BC, many people were cremated. Urns with cremated remains were placed in the burial mounds. The most important people were given a burial mound and are called princely graves. Rich men were given a sword, sometimes decorated, and inlaid with gold. The crockery was made of earthenware that could be very colorful.
Burying the dead became more common, from the 6th century BC, although cremation continued. The dead were interred in a burial chamber made of wooden beams. Stones were laid on a wooden ceiling. The beams perished over time, crushing the tomb. Their graves were often opened and robbed. Later burial chambers were built outside the center and those tombs were better preserved. Some tombs had impressive wooden chariots. Most four-wheeled cars are built with great diligence. They are light and comfortable due to an iron suspension. Small symbolic wheels were also present. Was there any religious significance to them? The Prince's Tomb of Vix is known, where the mummy lay on a chariot with the wheels taken off and set aside.
The end of the Hallstatt culture is early Celtic art. The decoration is usually geometric and linear. This can be found on fine metalwork of graves. The styles differ. Some places contain more human figures and narrative elements. Animals are often included as part of other objects. Weapons are common items. Metal jewelry includes the cloak pin or fibula, which has a row of hanging discs on chains, bracelets and torques or neck rings and is usually made of bronze.