Origin of a silver Stollhof-type disc excavated at Vanovice (South Moravia)

Abstract

The oldest silver artefact from north of the Alps was found on the territory of Czech Republic is Stollhoff-type disc found in Kotouč hill near Štramberk. Similar silver disc was recently excavated at Vanovice (Czech Republic). This paper was complied to answer these particular questions: 1. what was the origin of earliest silver artefacts in Central Europe, 2. when these artefacts were emerged, and 3. what raw material was used and how it was processed. To answer these questions, typological analysis of vessels, thermoluminescence (TL) dating, compositional analysis (performed by ED-XRF) and scanning electron microscopy were employed. According to shape of ceramic vessels accompanying silver artefact, the Vanovice hoard can be dated to the Baalberge phase of the Funnel Beaker Culture during the later Eneolithic. Attempt to date pottery by TL method was not successful. The local origin of the pottery and the Carpathian/East-Balkan source of metal suggest that the Vanovice silver disc and the accompanying pottery were made in different periods, largely because precious metals endure longer than pottery.

The provenance of the raw material and the manufacturing technology of copper artefacts from the Copper Age hoard from Magyaregres, Hungary

“…A hoard being deposited in a cooking pot certainly represents a rare occurrence in the Copper Age, but not entirely without example (e.g., Vanovice, Hlinsko, Skarbienice) [ 31 , 47 , 120 ]. Analogous pieces to the Magyaregres stone beads came to light–also from a cooking pot–from the site of Hornstaad-Hörnle IA, which dating overlaps with the final phase of the Magyaregres settlement [ 121 – 124 ].…”

“…Csáford, Štramberk-Kotouč, Malé Leváre) [ 36 , 43 – 46 ]. The hoards of Hlinsko and Vanovice, although assigned to a slightly younger chronological horizon, represent two exceptions in this regard, deposited in ceramic vessels at hilltop settlements [ 31 , 47 ].…”