Westbalkan type of cross shape belthook from Kačanj

Abstract

Almost six decades after its discovery was initially announced, the Illyrian grave-pit from Kačanj is still one of the most important archaeological sites for the interpretation of the economic, ethnical and culural processes in the adriatic hiterland from the and oh 6th to 5th centuries BC. More the 11 people, women, children and warrior were buried with rich beloningsand offerings, which include illyrian bronze halmets, spears, knives, jewelry from silver, amber and imported drinking vessel sets. Amongst these, for subject of our research, is especially important find of cross shape belt-hook. These type of belt-hooks are distributed mainly in western part of Balkan Peninsula. Some of the earliest buckles known are those used by Iapodian population during the early iron age. In grave 51 at necropolis Otočac near Prozor came first find date at 7th century BC. Buckle from Duga Gora near Ogulin is some decades later then previosly. Finds from Liburnia beloning period from the and of 7th and mostly from 6th century BC, while belt-hooks from Dalmatian site Otišić is from the and of 6th century BC. Only find from central Balkan, area east Herzegovina, is from Kačanj. In this case, we can look cross shape belt-hook as artefact of foreign origin. There are two possibilities regarding the arrival of the artefact: it was either imported from area Dalmatia, or it arrived with the migration of new population from western part of Balkan. In any of these case cross shape belt buckle is buried with one of the first dead at grave-pit in Kačanj and date from the and of 6th or early 5th century BC.