Restoration of Finds from the Hallstatt Period Found in a Burial Mound in Jalžabet

U Jalžabetu u Podravini jugoistočno od Varaždina nalazi se jedan od najvažnijih krajolika starijega željeznog doba u Republici Hrvatskoj. Arheološka istraživanja počela su na tom lokalitetu sondiranjima još šezdesetih godina prošloga stoljeća, a ponovo su intenzivirana tijekom provedbe projekta „Monumentalni krajolici starijega željeznog doba Podunavlja“ (“Iron-Age-Danube” Interreg DTP 2017. – 2019.) i zaštitnim arheološkim istraživanjima monumentalnog grobnog humka Gomile od 2017. do 2019. godine. Usporedno s novim interdisciplinarnim i arheološkim istraživanjima počela je sustavna obrada građe iz ranijih istraživanja. Tako su u radionici Odjela za restauriranje arheoloških nalaza Hrvatskog restauratorskog zavoda postupno restaurirani koštani i metalni nalazi iz tumula 2, a istodobno se počelo i s konzerviranjem i restauriranjem novih nalaza pronađenih u istraživanjima u protekle tri godine. U tekstu se daje pregled rezultata dosadašnjih arheoloških istraživanja u Jalžabetu te se predstavljaju postupci konzerviranja i restauriranja pokretnih arheoloških nalaza iz starijega željeznog doba pronađenih u Jalžabetu.One of the most important landscapes for the Early Iron Age in the Republic of Croatia is located in Jalžabet, southeast of Varaždin (northern Croatia). The Bistričak stream flows through the slightly undulating lowland area, dominated by Gomila, one of the largest burial mounds in this part of Europe. The first archaeological field survey was done in the 1960s. In 1989, during one trial excavation of Jalžabet and its surroundings, a team from the Varaždin City Museum located a previously unknown tomb: tumulus 2. The research in Jalžabet intensified during the implementation of the project "Monumentalized Early Iron Age landscapes in the Danube river basin" ("Iron-Age-Danube" Interreg DTP 2017–2019) and protective archaeological excavations of the large burial mound of Gomila between 2017 and 2019. Complex research on this giant tumulus, severely damaged when it was robbed, was funded by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, and, at the time of writing of this text, has not been fully completed. Movable archaeological finds, and especially monumental tomb architecture with a complex funeral ritual, confirm that the Gomila burial mound is one of the most significant prehistoric monuments of this type in Europe that has been explored in recent times. The finds from tumulus 1 (Gomila) and tumulus 2 are chronologically and culturally related, and the bronze pieces from the riding equipment are practically identical. By relative chronology, they belong to the Ha D1 period, approximately to the first half of the 6th century BC, the final phase of the Martijanec–Kaptol group or the Styria III period. Before a detailed restoration and analysis of movable finds, we can assume that Gomila belongs to the same time period as the renowned Ha D tumuli of Kleinklein, Strettweg and Kaptol. New interdisciplinary and archaeological research was carried out at the same time as the material from the old research was processed. Bone and metal finds from tumulus 2 were restored at the Department for Conservation of Archaeological Finds (Croatian Conservation Institute) with funds provided by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia. Conservation and restoration of new finds from the past three years was carried out at the same time. Most finds from tumulus 2 are elements of a complex scaly armour made of bronze and iron plates, connected by rivets. The numbers regarding the scope and complexity of conservation and restoration carried out on the finds from tumulus 2 speak for themselves. There were 86 bags and boxes with a total of 2281 items – 1692 of bronze and 589 of iron. Problems relating to inappropriate packaging, as well as previous attempts at restoration, were noticed during the preliminary inspection of the condition of items from tumulus 2. Iron finds from tumulus 2 were in poor condition, because they had not gone through the desalination process. The condition of the items as received required a complex process to detect and remove old interventions, as well as the use of modern methods of preserving materials in order to save the items from further deterioration. Most metal objects were exposed to fire during the funeral ritual, and many that were made of copper alloy turned into amorphous lumps of metal, but the temperature was not high enough to melt iron. Items made of iron were desalinated in a sulphite bath for 6 months, and corrosive deposits were removed using micro-grinding and sandblasting. Most items made of copper alloy were not structurally sound, and showed signs of active corrosion. Therefore, after cleaning, they were treated with the copper-corrosion blocker Benzo-triazole. The corrosive layer was mechanically removed, and only the original surface remained. Araldite 2020 epoxy with powder pigment filler was used for gluing, consolidating and filling the holes. The surface of the metal was coated with Cosmoloid H80 wax, which protects against the effects of moisture and during further handling. The decorated arrow heads made of bone, or out of antlers, were not damaged by the fire. PVA glue had been used during previous restoration interventions, and it was successfully removed with 95% ethyl alcohol. Paraloid B72 varnish of various densities was used for consolidation and gluing. The holes and cracks were filled with epoxy, with the addition of talc and small amounts of brown pigment to make the surface resemble the colour of bone. During the excavation of tumulus 2, archaeologists were trying to research, document and then restore archaeological finds as best they could. Unfortunately, the excavations of both burial mounds in Jalžabet took place after the monuments had been severely damaged, and their main purpose was to protect and research the site, which again speaks about the need for more thoughtful protection of very sensitive prehistoric finds, sites and landscapes in Croatia and the rest of Europe. Due to the specific circumstances of the funeral ritual, and various natural and anthropogenic influences on the finds over the past millennia, the interpretation of the finds from the burial mounds in Jalžabet is very complex. Restoration of the finds, and a detailed analysis of the context, archaeological layers and structures, will help us understand what actually happened in Jalžabet more than 2,500 years ago. Various experts who are already involved in the restoration and analysis of archaeological finds and samples will play a key role in this. Archaeological excavations, accompanied by conservation and restoration, continue at the Gomila burial mound and in the entire Early Iron Age landscape of Jalžabet