Posted on 12/16/2006 5:49:07 PM PST by blam
By Carol Kaufmann
Photographs by Arne Hodaliè
Why did Romans, Celts, and even prehistoric settlers submerge their personal belongings, from swords to dishes, in a shallow river in Slovenia?
Archaeologist Andrej Gaspari is haunted by pieces of the past. His hometown river, the Ljubljanica, has yielded thousands of them—Celtic coins, Roman luxuries, medieval swords—all from a shallow 12-mile (19 kilometers) stretch. Those who lived near and traveled along the stream that winds through Slovenia's capital of Ljubljana considered it sacred, Gaspari believes. That would explain why generations of Celts, Romans, and earlier inhabitants offered treasures—far too many to be accidental—to the river during rites of passage, in mourning, or as thanksgiving for battles won.
But Gaspari may never be able to explain for certain why the Ljubljanica holds one of Europe's richest stores of river treasures, many of them remarkably preserved by the soft sediments and gentle waters. Too many pieces of the puzzle have already disappeared.
During the past two decades, sport divers have made the river their playground, removing most of some 10,000 to 13,000 objects found so far. Even though removing artifacts from the Ljubljanica has long been illegal, professional archaeologists have been forced to compete with private collectors. Some divers sold their loot to museums; others to the highest bidder. Some kept their treasures private. Many artifacts have left the country, untraceable. Gaspari's greatest torment comes from the knowledge that few maverick collectors know—or care—where exactly their prizes were found. For an archaeologist, an object's meaning comes as much from its context—location, association with other objects—as from the prize itself. Without context, there is no story.
Mladen Mück is one of Gaspari's tormentors. Now in his 40s, the Bosnian-born architect began diving in the river in 1985 and has brought up about a thousand pieces. In his kitchen in Ljubljana, a plastic box contains prehistoric tools. Upstairs, dusty cases hold other rare artifacts, including deer antler axes. Mück says he has no intention of selling what he has found. Like many collectors, he babies his goods and claims they are better off with him than with the authorities.
"More people see these artifacts in my house than if I gave them to a museum," he says with a dismissive wave. "There they would sit in a basement."
Gaspari disagrees. A team at the National Museum of Slovenia is preparing an exhibit of the river's treasures that will tour Europe in 2008, he says. Still, he hopes that someday Mück will hand over his items. "My heart is strong," quips the 33-year-old archaeologist. If Mück is obstinate, "I will outlive him."
Get the whole story in the pages of National Geographic magazine.
GGG Ping.
Excalibur???
Did the river move its banks?
That's a beautiful looking sword. And a beautiful riverbank in the background, I must say.
Just the credit union.
"What, some watery tart threw a sword at you, and that makes you king of England?"
***Mladen Mück is one of Gaspari's tormentors.***
Sounds like the artfacts are still stuck in the "Muck".
Hey, I made a funny!
Interesting ping
That's a nice short sword he is holding
I wonder what the age of it is and the blade metal
A long time under the water to look in that good condition
Wonder why they wouldn't just rust away? Don't know what all metals they used. How interesting to be able to search for things like that.
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Hey, I made a funny!
Don't give up your day job! :-)
Tales from my ancestral land ping.
Metals and woods can start having problems as soon as you take it out of the water it has been submerged in.
Hard to imagine iron or steel not rusting away over the many centuries.
Better they dive than I -
Link to National Geographic article, photos page...
http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0701/feature6/gallery7.html
Thank you Drammach. I read the top of the thread but didn't go to the link as you well know. Lack of oxygen and the other factors would explain it. Thank you.
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