The Mšecké Žehrovice Head is a male sculpted head from c. 150–50 BC found at the double

Viereckschanze A Viereckschanze (from German "four-corner-rampart"; plural -en) is a rectangular ditched enclosure that was constructed during the Iron Age in parts of Celtic Western Europe. They are widespread in Germany, parts of northern France and also in so ...

site in Mšecké Žehrovice, about 65 km northwest of

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. It is one of the best known works of Celtic art from

Iron Age Europe In Europe, the Iron Age is the last stage of the prehistoric Europe, prehistoric period and the first of the protohistory, protohistoric periods,The Junior Encyclopædia Britannica: A reference library of general knowledge. (1897). Chicago: E.G. ...

, and, along with the

Glauberg The Glauberg is a Celtic hillfort or oppidum in Hesse, Germany consisting of a fortified settlement and several burial mounds, "a princely seat of the late Hallstatt and early La Tène periods." Archaeological discoveries in the 1990s place t ...

"Prince" and the Warrior of Hirschlanden, one of the few large representations of the human figure. After its discovery in 1943, the sculpture became one of the most photographed, reproduced and published La Tène (cc. 450–50 B.C.) objects ever. The sculpture is now in the Nové Strašecí Museum. A copy of it can also be seen in the Prague National Museum. With its iconic moustache, owl-like eyes, torc ornament and unique hairstyle, the marlstone head became an icon of Celtic Europe, featured on the covers of scientific as well as populist publications concentrating on Iron Age Europe related issues.

Format

The stone head, sculpted from local Cretaceous

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

, has a maximum height of 234 mm and width of 174 mm. The sculpture was broken into at least five pieces sometime in antiquity. Four pieces have been found in fairly good condition. However, the missing fragment or possibly fragments, a right-hand side of the head including upper part of the ear, have not yet been found. The heavily stylized facial features are projected on an almost flat surface surrounded by braid-like shaped hair. At the back of the head the hair appears to be shaved in a

tonsure Tonsure () is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word ' (meaning "clipping" or "shearing") and referred to a specific practice in ...

. The most prominent are the bulging oval eyes, contoured by a curvilinear eyebrow matching a similarly imposing curvilinear moustache. The mouth is suggested by a mere downward bending line. The ears are not naturalistic but rather represented as lotus buds, a stylistic form representative of La Tène art. The neck is formed in a shape of a

torc A torc, also spelled torq or torque, is a large rigid or stiff neck ring in metal, made either as a single piece or from strands twisted together. The great majority are open at the front, although some have hook and ring closures and a few hav ...

, a traditional Celtic necklace. A similar torc can be seen on the second-century B.C. sculpture of a ''

Dying Gaul Dying is the final stage of life which will eventually lead to death. Diagnosing dying is a complex process of clinical decision-making, and most practice checklists facilitating this diagnosis are based on cancer diagnoses. Signs of dying ...

'' from Pergamon.

Background

The visual imagery of the La Tène period was characterized by an ubiquitous appearance of an anthropomorphic head symbol typical of Central and Western Celtic Europe These images were skillfully entwined in ornaments, handles, jewelry and reliefs fashioned mostly of metals.

Anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

sculpture itself was extraordinarily rare and few examples survive today. The ''Celtic Hero'' was found during a course of 1943 excavation of an

oppidum An ''oppidum'' (: ''oppida'') is a large fortified Iron Age Europe, Iron Age settlement or town. ''Oppida'' are primarily associated with the Celts, Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread acros ...

in Mšecké Žehrovice in central Bohemia, Czech Republic. The sculpture was buried in a pit on a southwest corner of a square enclosure located within the oppidum. Other artifacts found in the pit include burned animal bones that date the feature to late La Tène period LT C2-D1 (approx. 150–50 BC.), pottery sherds, pieces of

saprolite Saprolite is a chemically weathered rock. Saprolites form in the lower zones of soil profiles and represent deep weathering of the bedrock surface. In most outcrops, its color comes from ferric compounds. Deeply weathered profiles are widespread ...

and a piece of iron wire. The dating of the pit is further supported by the typology of the pottery sherds which also place the interment of the sculpture to approx. mid 2nd to mid 1st century BC.Natalie Venclová, ''Mšecké Žehrovice in Bohemia. Archaeological Background to a Celtic Her'', (Kronos B.Y. Editions, 1998:31)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Msecke Zehrovice Head Celtic stone idols

Format

Background

See also

References