Archaeologists are sharing findings from excavations and objects dating back to the Iron Age during the Gallic scientific and cultural season, organized by Inrap, a French archaeological research institute. Among the discoveries is a rare double-bell asymmetrical brooch from the end of the first Iron Age (550-475 BCE), found in a silo in Bischoffsheim, a town in the Bas-Rhin region of France. The site was occupied during the Early Neolithic period and the first Iron Age. The excavation was led by Luc Vergnaud, a scientific researcher involved in the project. The brooch measures 4.50 cm in length, 3.20 cm in width, 2 cm in height, and weighs 3 grams. It features a convex hemispherical dome with a diameter of 3.20 cm and a height of 1.30 cm. The brooch's foot is curved and ends in a small convex bell. The catch is directly connected to the dome, though the stop disk is missing. The dome appears to have been made using a stamping technique, where a Celtic artisan shaped a sheet of metal by striking it with a small hammer on a wooden block, similar to a chopping block.
This type of brooch is well known in the Western Celtic world, particularly in the fortified site of La Heuneburg in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the Bas-Rhin region of Alsace, similar brooches have been found in burial contexts, such as the tumulus necropolis of Nordhouse and in necropolises in the Haguenau forest. In habitation contexts, examples have been discovered in the Haut-Rhin region at Sierentz and on the fortified site of Britzgyberg. In Bischoffsheim, two double-bell brooches had already been found during a previous excavation at the AFUA stadium site. These findings raise the possibility of a local workshop for brooch production in the area, though no direct artisanal evidence has yet been found.
In other parts of the Celtic world, production centers for these types of brooches have been identified, such as in Bragny-sur-Saône and Bourges, during the same period. These centers provide insight into the technical skills of Celtic artisans and the spread of metalworking techniques across the region. The discovery in Bischoffsheim adds to the growing understanding of how such items were made and used in daily life, as well as their significance in the cultural and social practices of the time.
Archaeologists Uncover Rare Iron Age Brooch in Alsace
AI-rewritten from original reportingHow it works
iron-ageceltic-artifactsarchaeologyfrancebroochalsace
Original sources:
- 🇫🇷Inrap



