Locations of Celtic chainmail finds from Northwestern Bulgaria and Romania

In addition to the aforementioned finds of chainmail from various Celtic burials across Bulgaria, representations of warriors wearing such chainmail are also to be found on a number of other late Iron Age artifacts, particularly from the area of today’s northwestern Bulgaria. Such is the case, for example, with depictions of warriors on a late Iron Age gold jug from Mogilanska Tumulus in Vratza (fig. 9) or the appliqués from the Celtic Letnitza treasure (Lovech region; fig. 13) which was found slightly to the northeast of the aforementioned sites at Smochan and Dojrentsi. 


 Also noteworthy are a number of bronze appliqués from chainmail discovered at various sites in Romania and Bulgaria. Hemispherical bronze discs from Celtic chainmail have been discovered at sites such as Matochina (Haskovo region) (Lazarov 2006: 171, 178. Fig. 11) and Panagurischte Kolonii in Bulgaria (Domaradski 1984:136), and a number of sites in Romania such as the well known Ciumeşti ‘Helmet Burial’ (fig. 10/11 )

Fig. 10 -  Artifacts from the Celtic ‘Helmet burial’ at Ciumeşti, Romania
(after Rusu 1969)

Fig.  11  - Bronze disc/appliqué from the chainmail at Ciumeşti (After Rusu 1969)

In the warrior grave from Ciumeşti two bronze appliqués were found (diameter 57 mm), attached to the horizontal, closing iron plate of the chain mail with a central rivet.


Such discs/ appliqués from chainmail have also recently been discovered at the Celtic burials at Târgu Mureş in Transylvania (Fig. 12; Berecki 2010). On these appliqués, as on smaller one which were apparently attached to a Celtic helmet (loc cit), the core motif is the Triskele which, along with the Tetraskelion (Swastika), is one of the most common and distinctive geometric forms on late Iron Age Celtic art on the Balkans, appearing on numerous Celtic coins and other artifacts from the region. (Mac Congail/Krusseva 2010; see also ‘Triskele’ article – forthcoming).

Fig. 12  - Bronze ‘Triskele’ appliqués from Târgu Mureş
(After Berecki 2010)



Sources Cited

Berecki S. (2010) Two La Tène Bronze Discs from Târgu Mureş, Transylvania In: Marisia, Studii Şi Materiale, XXX Arheologie. Targu Mureş 2010. P. 69 – 76
Borangic C., (2011) Războinici Nord-Dunâreni în Armuri de Zale (Sec. II a. Chr. – Sec. II. P. Chr.) – Partea I http://cclbsebes.ro/docs/Sebus_3_2011/09_CBorangic.pdf
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Lazarov L. (2006) New findings of Cavar’s coins and Celtic materials from the archaeological complex of Arkovna, IN: Sîrbu, V.–Vaida, D. L. (ed.), Thracians and Celts, Proceedings of the International Colloquium from Bistriţa, 18–20 May, 2006, Cluj-Napoca, 167–182
Lazarov L. (2010). The Celtic Tylite State in the Time of Cavarus. In: L.Vagalinski, (ed.) In Search of Celtic Tylis in Thrace (III c. BC). Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary Colloquium Sofia, 8 May 2010. Sofia. P. 97-113.
Mac Congail B., Krusseva B. (2010) The Men Who Became the Sun – Barbarian Art and Religion on the Balkans. Plovdiv
Manov, M. (2010.) In Search of Tyle (Tylis.) Problems of Localization. In: L.Vagalinski, (ed.) In Search of Celtic Tylis in Thrace (IIIc. BC). Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary Colloquium Sofia, 8 May 2010, Sofia. P. 89-96
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Shkorpil H., Schkorpil K. (1898) Mogili. Plovdiv.
Torbov N. (2004) Chain-Mails from Northern Bulgaria (III – I c. BC) Archaeologica Bulgarica 8, 2. P. 57 – 69.