Cult chariot from Glasinac (circumstances of discovery, scientific and historical importance, cultural and historical context)

Abstract

The bronze chariot from Glasinac, discovered by chance in 1880, present the extraordinary find that
initiated the development of archaeological science in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, after initial fascination
this valuable object remained outside of the research interest due to the uncertain circumstances of its discovery.
In this article, for the first time after 80 years of silence, all scientific aspects of this finding are considered
in detail. The conclusion is that this bird chariot is one of the last products of the Bronze Age funeral tradition,
which extends into the early Iron Age. It is cult custom associated with the broader Urnfield Circle, in which bird
chariots served as companions of the souls of the dead on an imaginary way to the eternity. Representatives of
this final stage of this tradition are chariots from Este, Bujoru and Glasinac (9th-8th BC). The Glasinac chariot, as
the last authentic representative of the ancient rite, already belongs to the classical Hallstatt period (Ha C1 - mid
8th century BC).