About Celtic belts & belt hooks

Among the Celtic and Germanic peoples of the early Iron Age, Celtic belts and belt hooks were a common and important clothing accessory. They served both a practical and a symbolic function: on one hand, they kept garments such as trousers, tunics, and peploi in place, and on the other, they served as a status symbol and expression of artistic taste. Both men and women wore belts with hooks, often made from iron or bronze.

Belt hooks were typically used in combination with leather belts. The mechanism was similar to a button: the leather belt had a hole or opening in which the hook could latch. This ensured that the belt remained firmly in place, without the need for a buckle. This form of closure was efficient and allowed for decoration on the visible parts of the belt hook.

Archaeological finds show a great variety of belt hooks: from simple, undecorated iron examples to richly decorated bronze hooks from elite graves, such as in Hallstatt. A typical model from the early La Tène period is the so-called box-shaped or bipartite belt hook with plate, often with a protruding hook for wider belts. These appeared in both female and male contexts.

This type of belt hook consists of a large rectangular or square plate, usually made of iron or bronze, with a protruding hook on one side. This hook was inserted through a hole in the leather belt to close the belt. Such belt hooks were often worn with wide leather belts, by both men and women. Some examples are richly decorated with fantasy animals, meander patterns, or stylized griffin heads, indicating their use within elite circles. They are mainly found in Central Europe and are typical of the La Tène A–B1 periods (ca. 450–300 BC).

These hooks have a round or oval shape, with a loop or eye at the back allowing them to be attached to a belt or textile. They often functioned as part of a buckle mechanism or as an end piece of a belt. They have been found in contexts from both the Hallstatt and early La Tène periods and are common in Southern Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. They date from the Hallstatt D–La Tène A period (ca. 600–450 BC).

The S-shaped hook is symmetrical and often made from iron. This type was commonly used in pairs as a fastening for clothing or belts. They are especially known from female grave contexts and typically date from the Hallstatt C–D periods (ca. 800–600 BC). The S-shape suggests a simple yet effective fastening technique.

The simple, single hook is usually forged from iron and has a straight or slightly curved shape. These hooks are functional and generally undecorated, indicating utilitarian use. This type is widespread and very common throughout the entire Early Iron Age in Europe, roughly from the 9th to the 5th century BC (ca. 900–400 BC).

Some belt hooks have a terminal in the shape of an animal head, such as a bird, ram, bull, or griffin. These are often decorative and associated with elite equipment and ceremonial contexts. The style of the decorations often shows Eastern influences, characteristic of early La Tène art. Such hooks have been found in Slovakia, Austria, and Southern Germany. They date from the early La Tène period (ca. 450–350 BC).

The flat hook consists of a flat, elongated plate with a simple hook at the end, but without the box-shaped structure of the bipartite variant. They were presumably used for practical applications, such as fastening belts or tools. This type is less common and mainly found in Northeastern Europe. Most examples are dated to the late Hallstatt to early La Tène period (ca. 550–400 BC).

This type forms a hybrid between a hook and a buckle mechanism. The design may indicate a transitional phase in fastening technology, where Celtic and Mediterranean influences merged. These belt hooks are rare and are occasionally found in border areas of Celtic-Roman influence, particularly in Gaul. They usually date from the La Tène B–C periods (ca. 350–150 BC).

Belts and belt hooks played a prominent role in the military and symbolic equipment of Celtic warriors. Multiple archaeological finds and artworks from the late Iron Age demonstrate that the belt was not merely a practical object but also a powerful symbol of warriorhood and identity.

A terracotta figurine from Egypt (220–180 BC), now housed in the British Museum, depicts a naked Celtic mercenary — probably a Galatian — dressed only in a cloak and a belt. Another example is the bronze statue of a Gallic warrior from Saint-Maur-en-Chaussée (Oise, France), dating from the 1st century BC or the 1st century AD (Musée départemental de l’Oise). This warrior wears a torc around his neck and a broad belt with a clearly visible belt hook around his waist, both status symbols within the warrior elite.

Similar motifs also appear in sculpture. Fragments of a relief frieze from Civitalba (Marche, Italy) depict two Celtic warriors, completely naked except for their cloaks and belts. The motif of the naked warrior — dressed only in belt and sometimes a cloak — recurs frequently, for example on the famous Stone of Hirschlanden (Baden-Württemberg, Germany). This stone warrior figure once stood atop an imposing burial mound and possibly depicts a chieftain, naked except for his headgear and belt. On the belt, he carries a sword or dagger.

A similar representation is found on the Stone of Osuna in Andalusia (Spain), where an Iberian warrior in La Tène equipment is depicted with a falcata , again with a broad belt prominently present. The well-known Braganza-brooch, a golden Celtiberian artwork, also shows a fighting warrior taking on a mythical creature — possibly a dragon or wolf — likewise naked, except for his helmet and belt.

The recurring motif of the naked warrior with only a belt can be linked to the Kurgan steles from the Proto-Indo-European world (circa 3000 BC), where warriors are also depicted with only belt and weapon. Within Celtic warrior culture, the belt would not only have been functional but also symbolized membership in the warrior class, loyalty to a tribe, or participation in a warband (cómos or koryos).

This tradition of the belt as a status symbol also existed in the Roman army, where the removal of the belt (cingulum militare) was considered one of the greatest humiliations a legionary could suffer—it stripped him of his honor as a warrior. This practice may have its roots in older Proto-Indo-European initiation rituals, where young men, armed with spear and dressed only in a belt, were sent into the wilderness to prove themselves as warriors and to acquire wealth.

Although most Celtic belts were fastened with hooks, the statue of the Gallic warrior of Vachères (1st century BC, Musée Calvet, Avignon) shows a belt with a buckle. This might indicate Roman influence during or after the Gallic Wars, where the buckle as a fastening mechanism gradually gained ground in Celtic areas.

A particularly fine example of a Celtic belt hook was found in Prašník, Slovakia. This iron belt hook has a rectangular plate and a hook in the shape of a fantastical creature with almond-shaped eyes and meander patterns—typical of early La Tène art. The decoration features griffin heads, an oriental motif that found its way into Celtic art through luxury goods. Similar hooks have been found in Schwabsburg, Želkovice, and at the Austrian cemetery Herzogenburg-Ossarn.

The presence of complex animal motifs such as griffins or bull heads indicates more than just a practical function. Such symbolism may refer to protection, power, or divine connections.