IT-3 potsherd
| Object | |
|---|---|
| Classification: | vessel |
| Material: | pottery |
| Size: | length: 4.8 cm, height: 5.6 cm, thickness: 3 mm |
| Condition: | fragmentary |
| Archaeological culture: | La Tène C |
| Date: | 250–150 BC |
| Date derived from: | archaeological context |
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| Site: | Volders (Tirol, Austria) |
| Field name: | Himmelreich |
| Archaeological context: | settlement |
| Coordinates (approx.): | 47° 17' 16.91" N, 11° 34' 43.72" E |
| Find date: | probably 1932–1935 |
| Find circumstances: | excavation |
| Current location: | Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum (repository) |
| Inventory Nr.: | 18.22 H 659 |
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| Inscription: | IT-3 (tiva) |
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| Sources: | Sinnhuber 1949: 64–65, pl. XXV, 43 |
Commentary
Ceramic fragment.
Due to the fragmentary state the vessel type is not determinable anymore. The potsherd is probably a part of the body. Fine clay, from grey to dark brown in colour, with a moderate temper of fine grained sand and cast gold; reduction firing.
The above-mentioned dimensions result of the autopsy by the Thesaurus Inscriptionum Raeticarum. Marchesini inidcates: "Lungh max cons 5,7 cm; spess 0,4 cm" (cp. MLR: 263).
No further decorations visible.
Outside characters which were engraved before firing (cp. Sinnhuber 1949: 64). However, Schumacher supposes that the characters were engraved after firing (cp. Schumacher 1992: 216). Indeed, the white chalk inlay is caused by Sinnhuber's study and the in this context taken photos (cp. Sinnhuber 1949: 64).
The ceramic fragment presents one of the findings from the Raetic settlement Himmelreich. Between 1932 and 1935 the area on the lower terrace in the east and the north of the hill was excavated by Dr. Stainer and the sherd is one of the discoveries made during these not planned excavations.
 site plan of the Himmelreich settlement given by Kasseroler (1957).
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According to the other discoveries made in Himmelreich the sherd dates to the Middle La Tène period. The archaeological finds from Himmelreich indicate a dating to the La Tène period where the major part dates to the Middle La Tène period (see e.g. the fibulae from Himmelreich cp. Sinnhuber 1949: 20–22). Therefore the above-mentioned dating is in agreement with the archaeological context. Due to the fragmentary state no statement concerning the dating can be made based on the typology.
According to Schumacher the fragment was first mentioned in Schumacher 1992: 190 "IT-3" (cp. later again in the revised edition from 2004: Schumacher 2004: 190, 216 "IT-3", pl. 5.3, pl. 6.2). However, the sherd is already part of Sinnhuber's volume (cp. Sinnhuber 1949: 64–65, pl. XXV, 43) whereat however the excavation and the findings were to the fore. Sinnhuber discusses the ceramic fragments with characters (in total 46) only generally (cp. Sinnhuber 1949: 64–65).
In the recently released study about the Raetic inscriptions by Marchesini the sherd is listed with "MLR 296" among the inscriptions from Volders, Himmelreich; an autopsy was effected (cp. MLR: 263 [MLR 296]).
Autopsied by the Thesaurus Inscriptionum Raeticarum in November 2013.
