THE UISPP JOURNAL

Florian Mauthner, Boris Kavur – SHOW ME YOUR SWORD AND I KNOW WHERE YOU COME FROM… REMARKABLE CELTIC SWORDS IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN ALPS

A few decades ago, Styria, spanning Austria and Slovenia, was seen as a marginal area in early Celtic expansion. Isolated grave finds suggested a dispersed and culturally mixed landscape, echoing the region’s transitional topography between the Eastern Alps and the Carpathian Basin. However, discoveries over the past twenty years have transformed this view. Newly identified cemeteries reveal a dynamic Celtic presence during the 4th century BC, marked by cultural consolidation and distinctive regional craftsmanship. Among the most striking evidence are elaborately decorated swords and scabbards from Lt B2 graves, demonstrating advanced blacksmithing and welding. Our study focuses on these artefacts to argue that Styria hosted an active regional group of Celtic sword-makers, initially influenced by Pannonian models but soon developing unique local artistic and technological traits.

Reference as:

Mauthner F, Kavur B. 2025. Show me your sword and I know where you come from… Remarkable Celtic swords in the south-eastern Alps. UISPP Journal 7, 89–101. https://doi.org/10.62526/QJYK17

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