One of the most fascinating items of prehistoric artistic production is the famous belt plate from Vače in Slovenia. It was discovered on the locality Reber above Klenik in a grave, that was already robbed – inside a wooden crate were left only several bronze rings, a short sword or knife, an awl, several human bones and fragments of pottery. The belt plate is decorated in the classic style of Situla art dated to the 5th century BC and is among the most attractive examples of this artistic tradition. Represented is an archaic method of fighting – an engagement between two horsemen accompanied by two further warriors and an unarmed man with a large hat.
Several spears in the air create the impression of a comic-like visual narrative including a temporal delay of action. Also the complex composition with a single person turning away from the action, suggest that this scene could be more than an illustration of a mythological scene. Perhaps it is a transformed reflection presenting a real conflict, visual artwork of a historical event materialized out of the oral tradition of Iron Age nobility.
