The Celtic World (Routledge Worlds)

• Chapter Thirty -

evidence for the early appearance of Celts in Italy (Frey 1987, 199 I b). Alternatively,
it has been suggested that the distribution of these objects may be a side effect
of trade links of key importance. Trading between Italy and the areas north of the
Alps intensified following the end of the sixth century Be. This latter region was of
outstanding importance for the emergence of La Tene culture (Kruta 1983, 1986,
199 I).
The same is true of rectangular belt-plates/plaques which, in addition to the
masked figures, have certain motifs and decorative techniques which reflect cultural
contact with the Etruscans and the Veneti (e.g. Os sam, Stupava, etc.) (Megaw,
Megaw and Neugebauer 1989)' Box-shaped iron belt-hooks occur by the time of the
most recent La Tene A horizon and are predominantly associated with early La Tene
Draht-(wire) or bird-head fibulae (Parzinger 1988).
The range of fibulae in the Celtic east shows, as it did in the earlier part of the Iron
Age, a strong affinity with eastern alpine types (Figure 30.7). People initially wore
bow-or boat-shaped fibulae or the local variants of these, and later the various types

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Figure 30.7 Cast-bronze brooches ornamented in 'pseudo-filigree' manner from flat grave

cemeteries. 1 - Rezi, Balatoni Museum Keszthcly, Hungary; 2 - Cluj, History Museum Cluj,

Romania; 3, 5 - Osijek, Museum Osijek Hrvatska; 4 - Breziee, Posavski Museum, Slovenija

(third-second century Be). (After Szabo 1992.)

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