The Swastika, the Earliest Known Symbol, and Its Migration / With Observations on the Migration of Certain Industries in Prehistoric Times

by Thomas Wilson

Fig. 189.
ORNAMENTAL SWASTIKA
ON ETRUSCAN SILVER BOWL.
Cervetri (Cære), Etruria.
Waring, “Ceramic Art in
Remote Ages,” pl. 41, fig. 13.

An ornamental Swastika ([fig. 189]) is found on a silver bowl from Cervetri (Cære), Etruria. It is furnished by Grifi, and reproduced by Waring. This specimen is to be remarked as having a small outward flourish from the extreme end of each arm, somewhat similar to that made by the Jains ([fig. 33]), or on the “Tablet of honor” of Chinese porcelain ([fig. 31]). [Fig. 190] shows an Etruscan bronze fibula with two Swastikas and two Maltese crosses in the pin shield. It is in the Museum of Copenhagen, and is taken from the report of the Congrés Internationale d’Anthropologie et d’Archæologie Préhistorique, Copenhagen, 1875, page 486. This specimen, by its rays or crotchets around the junction of the pin with the shield, furnishes the basis of the argument by Goblet d’Alviella[197] that the Swastika was evolved from the circle and was a symbol of the sun or sun-god. (See [p. 785].)

Fig. 190.
BRONZE FIBULA WITH
TWO SWASTIKAS AND
SUPPOSED RAYS Of SUN.[198]
Etruria. Copenhagen Museum.
Goblet d’Alviella, fig. 19a,
De Mortillet, “Musée
Préhistorique,” fig. 1263.
¼ natural size.

Bologna was the site of the Roman city Bononia, and is supposed to have been that of Etruscan Felsina. Its Etruscan cemetery is extensive. Different names have been given to the excavations, sometimes from the owner of the land and at other times from the names of excavators. The first cemetery opened was called Villanova. The culture was different from that of the other parts of Etruria. By some it is believed to be older, by others younger, than the rest of Etruria. The Swastika is found throughout the entire Villanova epoch. [Fig. 191] shows a pottery vase from the excavation Arnoaldi. It is peculiar in shape and decoration, but is typical of that epoch. The decoration was by stamps in the clay (intaglio) of a given subject repeated in the narrow bands around the body of the vase. Two of these bands were of small Swastikas with the ends all turned to the right. [Fig. 192] shows a fragment of pottery from the Felsina necropolis, Bologna, ornamented with a row of Swastikas stamped into the clay in a manner peculiar to the locality.

Fig. 191.
POTTERY URN ORNAMENTED WITH
SUCCESSIVE BANDS IN INTAGLIO, TWO OF
WHICH ARE COMPOSED OF SWASTIKAS.
Necropolis Arnoaldi, Bologna. Museum
of Bologna. Gozzadini, “Scavi
Archæologici,” etc., pl. 4, fig. 8.