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Archaeological Collection

Hoard find of iron tools, weapons and mounts

Hoard find of iron tools, weapons and mounts
Item name:Hoard find of iron tools, weapons and mounts
Dating:Around year 400
Findspot:Limberk above Velika Račna
Inv. No.:S 3012–S 3060
On display:Medieval Stories from the Crossroads

Description

Most of the items in the hoard from Limberk are woodworking tools: axes (1), augers (2), chisels (3), adzes (4), a curved cutting tool (5), a tool with a crescent-shaped serrated blade (6), a croze (7) and two saws(8). The hoard also included a hammer (9), a compass (10) and scissors (11), the function of the long bar with a twisted shank (12) is not known. The large punch (13) may have been used to make holes for hafting various metal tools, while the lump of iron provided raw material (14). The hoard also contains several lock plates, keys (15) and nails, but also iron parts of a wagon. These consist of three hub rings (16), which would have been mounted on the hub or the central part of the wheel, and two kingpins (17), on which the moveable axle was pivoted beneath the wagon's frame. An artefact that stands out among the everyday objects is a chain with a collar (18), while weaponry comprises a sword (19) and a spearhead (20). A fairly accurate dating of the treasure is made possible by the characteristic short sword with notches (19), which proves the presence of barbarian groups or individuals in the territory of present-day Slovenia from the late 4th to the late 5th century.


Further reading

Knific, Timotej in Nabergoj, Tomaž, 2016: Medieval Stories from the Crossroads, Ljubljana, Fig. 4, pp. 12, 218.

On display in the Permanent Exhibition