ヨーロッパの歴史で最古の確認できる民族はケルト人であった。
ザルツブルク（「塩の町」の意）のそばにあって岩塩坑が並ぶハルシュタット（「ハル」は古代ケルト語の「塩」）では、19世紀半ばに地方の鉱山研究家ラムザウアーによって墳墓などの遺跡が発見され、紀元前10世紀より前からギリシャ人と岩塩の交易が盛んだったことが判明した。その中からブローチ(フィビュラ）類が発見され、青銅器中心のハルシュタット文明の存在が明らかになった。 また、スイスの湖畔ヌーシャテル（ノイシャテル）からは、紀元前４世紀あたりの出土品（墳墓と副葬品、甕類など）が発掘された。 考古学、地質学、歴史学やこういった出土品の比較によって、凡その年代決定が行われるに至った。
英国のアマチュアでブローチ収集家だったリチャード・ハタットは生涯に4冊の目録を出版、彼の死後に使いやすいヴィジュアル・カタログが追加された。
The Celts were the earliest identifiable tribe in the European history. Not very far from Salzburg, meaning ‘salt town’, Hallstatt, with Hall meaning salt in the ancient Celtic language, had a number of rock salt mines in the vicinity.
In the middle of the 19th century a local mine researcher, Georg Ramsauer fortunately stumbled upon some remains of ancient graveyards, which betrayed the salted artefacts, such as brooches or fibulae. It was obvious that as early as 10th century BC they were committed to the wide trade of the finest salt with Greeks and early Italians.
Thus, the Halsttatt Culture was since recognized as the highest-quality bronze artefacts, spreading all over to the European continent. Subsequently a different kind of Iron-age artefacts were unearthed at a Swiss lakeside, Neuchatel: graves, decorative items and vases, for example. In comparison with other archaeological evidence, what is called the La Tene Culture was dated.
Richard Hattatt, a businessman turned into an amateur collector of ancient brooches andfibulae, published four thick catalogues of his own massive collections, and a visual catalogue, originated as his own guide book, was posthumously published. for the benefit of other collectors.
参考文献
- Richard Hattatt, Ancient Brooches and Other Artefacts, Oxford: Oxbow books, 1989
- Frank Delaney, The Celts, London: BBC, 1986 A Visual Catalogue of Richard Hattatt’s Ancient Brooches, Oxford: Oxbow Books, 2000
- バリー・カンリフ（蔵持不三也訳）『図説ケルト文化誌』東京・原書房、1998
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