Prilog proučavanju šarnirskih fibula u Jugoslaviji
A Contribution to the Study of „Scharnier” Fibulae in Yugoslavia

Summary/Abstract: The question of the so-called „Scharnierfibeln” — the bow fibulae, where the head is connected to the bow by a hinge — and its place in the development of the Iron Age cultures in Yugoslavia has bean a subject of discussion for a long time. Before discussing in brief this problem I would like to thank professor Relja Novakovih of Belgrade University who enabled me to publish two bronze fibulae of this type, found in Čečan by Vuoitrn in Kosovo. I thank also Dr. Ann Brown from the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, Dr. Donald Bailey from the British Museum, Dr. Herbert Melichar from the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna and Dr. Viktorija Sokolovska from the Archaeological Museum iki Skopje, as well as the Trustees of the mentioned museums, who have permitted me to publish photographs of the fibulae from Kyzilkos, Budva, Sombor and Zdainee. The discussion concerning the „Scharnier” fibulae began at the very beginning of this century in the archaeological literature, when M. Hoernes published the particularly rich find from Štrpoi in East Bosnia. After that, V. Čurčić. J. Dechelette, Ch. B'liinkenberg, L. v. Marton, P. Jacobsthal, F. Mai or. A. Benac and B. Cović, M. Parović, P. Disičar, P. Amandry, V. Lahtov, I. Mifculčić, A. Dimitrova, B. Kitanoskd, K. Kilian and many others took part in this discussion. Although the connection of this type of fibula with Greece and Greek Macedonia as well as its dating mainly from the 5th and 4th centuries B. C. were evident, there have been many nuances in the interpretation: some ascribing all these brooches to the Greeks and Greek manufacture, others supposing that some fibulae are Greek and some local imitations, and yet others thinking that they are local products made under a degree of Greek influence. In Yugoslav literature these fibulae are called the „Štrpoi— Čurug” type regardless of the form of „Scharnierfibeln” in question. However, apart from the starlike knobs or rosettes, which are the characteristic decoration on the bow of the „Štrpci—čurug” fibulae, there are other forms of knobs — pearl — or globelike, biconic, ringlike, etc. Similarly their number is varied. This versatility of shapes shows that before reaching any satisfactory conclusion, one needs to analyse each form separately and to determine regional and chronological differences, if any, among the various groups of „Scharnier” fibulae. Such an effort was made by B. Kitanoskd in bis analysis of about 30 „Scharnierfibeln” from the Prilep Museum. He established five groups depending on the number of knobs on the bow, dividing them into subgroups characterised by various knob forms. Our division is similar, thought it is based primarily on the form of the knob and not on their number. In this way it is possible, it seems to me, to follow more closely the genetic and regional development of the variants and it is also easier to include a larger number of the fibulae. Yet, the aim of this paper is to point out the basic forms of the „Scharnfier” fibulae in Yugoslavia and to determine their place in the material culture of the Iron Age Yugoslavia, without attempting to give answers to all the questions. According to our division GROUP I includes the „Seharnier” fibulae without knobs on the bow. All the specimens are made of bronze, 2—4 cm in length. Most of them have been found in Pelagonia — Prilep, Prilepec, and in the Trebenište region, but also near Štip— Karaormain, and in West Bulgaria—Pemik. The piece from the grave 4 at Karaiorman should be placed to the last quarter of the 5th century on the basis of the fragments of the St. Valentine vases found with it, while the fibula from Prilep—Kaldrma belongs to the same or slightly later period on account of another „Schamlerfibel” from the same grave, having „cogwheels” on the bow. GROUP II consists of the fibulae with globular or pearl like knobs. They are mostly of bronze and seldom of silver, 3—4 cm in length. One can discern three main subgroups — those with two, three or more knobs on the bow. The fibulae with tw,o globular knobs on the bow (subgroup lia) are all bronze apart from 2 specimens from Prilep and 6 from Gostilj which are silver. Most of these finds come from Pelagonia (Cepigovo, Prilep, Volkovo), some from central Macedonia (Demir Kapija, Dojran. Chauchitsa, Pontoiraklea), then from Chaleidike (Olynthos), Albania (Irmaj. Leshnje, Podgradec), Montenegro (Gostilj, Momišići), while occasional specimens have been discovered in Bosnia (Giasinae), Slavonia (Dalj) and Bulgaria (Pemik). It seems that their centre was in Pelagonia where over 20 specimens have been found, and from where they had spread most probably to the west and north. It is possible that the form appeared already in the 5th century, but the accurately dated examples belong to the 4th century and remained in use up to the 2nd century B. C. The fibulae with three globular knobs (subgroup lib) are bronze apart from 7 silver fibulae from Beranci—Crkvtište and 2 gold fibulae from an unknown locality. In Yugoslavia they have been found in Pelagomliia (Beranci, Prilep), at Demir Kapija, at Karaormam by Stip, then in Albania (Podgradec) and Bulgaria (unknown locality). In Greece and Greek Macedonia they have also been discovered in large nunmbers — Chauchitsa, Chaleidike, Olynthos, Pherai, Phthiofian Thebes, Souvala by Delphi, Eretria, Olympia, etc. One could suppose that this form was originally Greco—Macedonian and that it spread to Yugoslav territory from the south. It very probably influenced the appearance of the fibulae with two globular knobs in Pelagonia (subgroup lia) which suited more the local needs and was easier to manufacture. The dating of subgroup lib bears out such a supposition — in Pelagonia they belong mostly to the 4th century, while the specimens around Stip should probably be dated towards the end of the 5th century. Greek specimens are from the 5th and 4th centuries. The fibulae with four or five globular knobs (subgroup lie) represent a variation of subgroup lib and appear in the same regions — Pelagonia (Beranci, Prilep), near Stisp (Markov Kamen), Greek Macedonia (Chaleidike, Olynthos), Thessaly (Pherai, Phthiiotian Thebes) and Olympia. GROUP III has biconic knobs on the bow . Most of the specimens are made of gold and have been found in the region of Thessaloniki. They are richly and elaborately decorated with granulation and filigree and have a plaque on the head portraying the head of Omphale or of a lion, and miniature animal figures on the catch-plate. Together with other richly decorated gold fibulae which have different globe shapes they represent a particular group of „Scharnierfibeln” of which P. Amandry wrote in detail and placed it to the 4th century B. C. A silver fibula from the Benaki Museum and the bronze fibulae from Pherai, Sindos, Vimica near Stip and from the Canallopoulos Museum belong formally to this group on account of their biconic knobs. Because of their dating, the bronze pieces could have been the predecessors of the gold specimens: the fibulae from Sindos have been dated relatively accurately as the middle of the 5th century B, C. Bioondc knobs on the bow are a characteristic of one other group of the „Seharnler” fibulae — the so-called „Peloponnesian” fibulae found in Hera ion of Argos, Olympia, Lusoi, Perachora, Prosymna, Souvala by Dephi, etc. They have been placed to the 8th and 7th centuries but remained in use after this date. The „Peloponnesian” fibulae appeared in Greece under the influence from Asia Minor and possiblv played a certain role in the formation of the ..Scharnier'’ fibulae in Greek Macedonia. The fibulae of GROUP IV have narrow parallel rings on the bow and are relatively rare. They have been found in Olynthos, Chauchitsa, Sindos, Prilep-Kaldrma and Trebendšte and can be placed to the second and third quarter of 5th century judging by the Greek pottery in grave 43 in Sindos and in grave 29 in Trebemište, where they were discovered. GROUP V represents „Scharnierfibeln” with star-like globes or rosettes, in which two main subgroups can be discerned: fibulae with three rosettes and fibulae with four, five, six or more rosettes on the bow. Subgroup Va has been discovered so far in Yugoslavia mainly around the Lake Ohrid, while in Greece it is more numerous and has been found in Greek Macedonia (Fiorina, Sindos, Qlynthos, Chalcidike), Thessaly (Pherai) and Peloponnesos (Perachora). The silver fibulae of this group from the Canellopoulos Museum were probably also discovered in North Greece. Two gold specimens from Demir Kapija were imported most probably from the Thessaloniki region. The dating of grave 25 in Trebenište on account of the Greek pottery as the third quarter of the 5 th century gives an approximate date for the finds around the Lake Ohrid while Greek specimens are contemporary or earlier whlich is clearly pointed by the two fibulae of this group in Perachora. Subgroup Vb is the most numerous one and thus we shall speak here of the gold, sliver and bronze fibulae separately. The gold specimens found mostly around Thessaloniki form together with the gold fibulae with bioonic knobs of group III a particular variant which should be considered and studied separately. The silver specimens are best known and most numerous. They have been found in large numbers in Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Vojvodina, Bosnia, Hercegovina, Montenegro and occasionaly in Rumania and Turkey. Although they come in a large variety of shapes and sizes, one could, following Jacobsthal’s remarks in this respect, determine several principal types. The earliest is probably the Trebenište type originating in Greek Macedonia and dated with certainty back to the second half of the 6th century (Trebenište graves 8 and 9, Beranci—Petilep, Sindos grave 48, Collection Stathatos nos. 123—124). It remained in use during the 5th century too. In the second half of the 5th century this harmonious and wellproportioned shape changed and the star-like knobs took the form of either ’cogwheels’ or ’millwheels’: from among many (shapes in Greece and Macedonia the two most significant types seem to be the Hal ai type with .cogwheels’, best represented by the 11 fibulae from Halai and placed to the 5th and the beginning of the 4th centuries, and the Radolište type with 'millwheels’, placed to the 4th century and later. While the Halai type generally followed the composition and design of the* former Trebenište type, changing only the shape of the rosettes, the Radolište type (Radolište, Prtlep, Beranci—Crkvište, Amanfcia, Gajtan) lost the earlier elegance and became heavy. In the interior of the Balkans several variants appeared under the influence from the south. One of them is the Negotin—Bukjovci type with rosettes representing a variation of the cogwheels, found in northwest Bulgaria and east Serbia (Negotin, Ostrovul Mare, Bukjovdi, Vladinja) and also more to the west (Beograd— Cukarica, Sremska Mitrovica). With some reserve, it, or at least some of its specimens can be placed to the end of the 5th or the first half of the 4th centuries. The Strpci type with 'millwheels’ is similar to the Radolište type (Štrpci, Rusanovići, Zdanec, Donja Topoaiica). The four fibulae from the Val Tempe in Thessaly, a fibula from an unknown locality in the Copenhagen Museum and two fibulae from Kyzikos, presently in the Ashmoleain Museum, belong probably to this type. These seven fibulae appeared on the market in the first decade of this century and perhaps come from the same source. The Čurug type is characterised by a large number of simplified rosettes on the bow and represents a local form (Curug, Sombor, „Slavonija”, Stalijska mahala), while the four fibulae of similar shape but ol better finish from Juhor near Svetozarevo served perhaps as a model for this variant. The other north Balkan specimens are a mixture of these and the Macedonian types (Garbirao, Penkovci, Custendil, Niš—Humska Ćuka, Budva) and point to the complexity of the form and difficulties in ascribing each item to a particular type. The fibulae from the Adriatic Coast and Hercegovina show connections with the north Balkan specimens but also some differences and probably remain under a direct influence from Macedonia. Most of them belong to the 4th century and later, which (is proved also by the lack of these fibulae in the rich local graves with Greek material of the 5th century in Plana, Kačanj and Ljubomir in the region of Bileća. The bronze specimens of subgroup Vb are also very numerous but in most cases they imitate or follow the above mentioned silver types. Yet, a particular bronze form can be discerned which shows a certain independence in relation to the silver fibulae. It is 3—4 cm in length and the finish is less elaborate. In spite of the differences between various specimens, one can ascribe to it the fibulae from Albania (Donje Selce, Podgradec), from Kossovo (our two specimens from Čečan), from Bosnia and Hercegovina (Glasinac, Debelo Brdo, Donje Hrasno), Montenegro (Momišići) Macedonia (Tri Čeljusti—Trebenište, Prilep, Demir Kapija, Olynthos, Pela, Sianisci), Greece (Dodona, Almiros, Medeon), etc. Its floruit was the 4th century B. C. but it was also to use before and after this date. The earliest „Seharnier” fibulae in Yugoslavia appeared in west Macedonia in the second Ijaif of the 6th century under the influence from north Greece, where this form probably originated. The appearance of the „Schamierfibeln” in Macedonia can be ascribed to various factors — they bear elements of the East Greek fibulae and the Phrygian fibulae, but also of some Greek types — e. g. the so-called „Peloponnesian” Seharnier fibulae — created to the 8th nad 7th centuries under the Eastern influence. The fibulae with rosettes on the bow (subgroup Vb) have been dated at the earliest as the second half of the 6th century, while the first specimens with three rosettes (subgroup Va), more simple in composition and logically earlier, can be dated perhaps before that, as some specimens from Perachora may show. The fibulae with other forms of knobs can not be dated with certainty before the 5th century. The full development of the „Schamiefibeln” occurred, as it seems, in the second half of the 5th century and the climax of their popularity was the 4th century B. C. when the largest number of their variants was in use, various materials were tried, and their spread towards the north and the west reached its maximum. In the 3rd and 2nd centuries B. C. these fibulae were still to use but their shapes and finish lost thelir previous glamour and richness. In the north Balkans they appeared at the earliest towards the end of the 5th century or more probably to the first half of the 4th century. Most of these specimens (the Negotin—Bukjovci type) were probably Greek imports, but later forms (the Stnpci type and in particular the Curug type) were created in the local workshops possibly under the supervision of Greek travelling artisans. An example of this local manner of expression is a geometnlzed miniature beast on the fibula from Štrpei which should be compared with similar but less clearly represented quadrupeds on the Ždanec specimens and with the refined griffons and Pegasi on the gold fibulae from the surrounding of Thessaloniki. At the end, I would like to point out that the „Seharnier” fibulae were in general a Macedonian form, that ,they were mostly created in this region and that under Macedonian influence they spread to the interior of the Balkan peninsula. And yet, the hinterland accepted this form as its own, in particular the ,,Seharnierfibein” with five, six and more rosettes on the bow (subgroup Vb) which appealed to their aesthatlc views and understanding, and thus they should be considered as an integral part of the Balkan material culture in the 4th century B. C. This fibula disappeared from the north after the arrival of the Celts, and from Macedonia and south Adriatic after the arrival of the Ramans — in both cases in a period when new tastes, fashion and technology prevailed in the material culture.

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