Luxurious caskets of the Przeworsk culture

Abstract

Among the wooden caskets with metal locks (a characteristic element of the furniture of graves of women in barbaricum) there is a distinguished group of finds with outstanding decoration made of large sheets of bronze covered with rich set of various punched motifs, fixed with vast amount of decorative, dome headed bronze nails. These caskets, similar in style, are known exclusively from the Przeworsk culture area (cemeteries in Opatów, Chmielów Piaskowy, Zamiechów, Kraków-Płaszów, and from the Tisa group cemetery in Badon “Doaşte”, in Romania). Fragments of bronze plates with similar motifs are known from a few other sites. They are dated to phase B2/C1 – C1 and can be treated as a very homogenous group, maybe even works of one craftsmen or workshop. The described ornamented caskets were found in graves with rich, however not outstanding, furniture. They can be treated as an attempt to imitate of wooden boxes with bronze decorative mounts known from the Roman Empire, however the motifs are deeply rooted in the local “barbarian” tradition. The ornamented caskets could have been a sign of special social status. Most interesting and really mysterious are figures on the plates from Kraków Płaszów presenting stylised complete human and animal representations.