Vače situla

Vače Situla

Vače Situla, now on display in the National Museum of Slovenia
Material	bronze
Size	height: 23.8 cm (9.4 in)
Created	5th century BC
Discovered	1882 at Hallstatt Archaeological Site in Vače, at the time Austria-Hungary (now central Slovenia) by Janez Grilc
Present location	National Museum of Slovenia

The Vače Situla (Slovene: situla z Vač, also vaška situla) is an ornamented Early Iron Age ritual bronze vessel (situla) found in the second half of the 19th century at the Hallstatt Archaeological Site in Vače in central Slovenia. It counts among the highest-quality such vessels in general and among the most precious archeological artifacts of the country. Dating from the 5th century BC, it is considered to be one of the oldest situla objects of the northern Illyrians found in the Eastern Hallstatt zone. The vessel has three rows of relief that show the ordinary life of the ruling class and also reflect the religious understanding of the world in that time. It is on display in the National Museum of Slovenia.

It was discovered by the farmer Janez Grilc in the beginning of 1882 (by oral tradition on 17 January, but most probably in March that year). The situla lay at a depth of 1.5 metres (4 feet 11 inches). In the same year, after the director of the Provincial Museum of Carniola (Kranjski deželni muzej), Karel Dežman, was informed about the find, it was purchased by a museum agent for 18 guldens and 20 kreuzer. Later, the museum estimated its value at about 6,000 guldens.

The situla is 23.8 centimetres (9.4 in) high and is made of three separate pieces of bronze sheets, coupled with bronze rivets. The holder is made of thick torqued wire and has the ends in the form of stylized duck's head. It was made in toreutic technique and may have been used as a ritual vessel for holding holy water. Its volume has been estimated to 2 litres (0.44 imp gal; 0.53 US gal).