DOCSLIB.ORG

The Archaeological Characterisation of the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo: the Question of the Visigothic Cemeteries

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Archaeological Characterisation of the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo: the Question of the Visigothic Cemeteries Gisela Ripoll1 The Archaeological Characterisation of the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo: The Question of the Visigothic Cemeteries The well-deserved homage that is being offered to Professor Jörg Jarnut today covers various subjects and chronological periods, thereby reflecting his own research . The construction of the new Western barbarian kingdoms is of particular interest to Jörg Jarnut from a historical and an archaeological viewpoint, and, for this reason, I would like to demonstrate my gratitude for the teaching I received from him by considering one of the key points for the archaeological characterisa- tion of the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo, that of the cemeteries . Professor Jarnut’s attitude demonstrates that scientific knowledge and human warmth and cordiality can go hand in hand . Vielen Dank Jörg! 1 . Definition of the problem: the Visigoths in the West2 The study and analysis of the Visigothic cemeteries is linked to two historical questions: the Visigothic settlement in the Iberian Peninsula and the identifying criteria for this people, directly related to their ethnogenesis . Both questions have concerned various scholars in recent years and have been a subject of debate on different occasions . Three important meetings that have given rise to their respec- 1 Universitat de Barcelona, giselaripoll@hotmail .com . I should like to thank Dr . Isabel Velázquez and Dr . Javier Arce for reading this work and for their always opportune observations . This text is one of the activities arising from the Plan Nacional I+D+I (the Spanish National Plan for Scientific Research, Development and Technological Innovation) HUM2005-00268/Hist and HAR2009- 13104/Hist (FEDER funding) . I should also like to express my gratitude to Dr . R . Le Jan for her bibliographical suggestions, as well as to Dr . K . Bowes for making these works available to me, and Dr . P . Banks for having translated this text from Spanish into English with his customary care and kindness . 2 The text presented here is derived from various previous publications: Ripoll, Gisela: Symbolic Life and Signs of Identity in Visigothic Times, in: Heather, Peter (Hg .): The Visigoths from the Migra- tion Period to the Seventh Century: An Ethnographic Perspective (Studies in Historical Archaeo- ethnology 4), Woodbridge 1999, S . 403–431 (Discussion S . 431–446); Dies .: Romani e Visigoti in Hispania: problem di interpretazione del material archeologico, in: Delogu, Paolo (Hg .): Le inva- sion barbariche nel meridione dell’Impero: Visigoti, Vandali, Ostrogoti, Cosenza 2001, S . 99–117; and represents a revised version of Ripoll, Gisela: Las necrópolis visigodas . Reflexiones en torno al problema de la identificación del asentamiento visigodo en Occidente según los materials arque- ológicos, in: Hispania Gothorum . San Ildefonso y el reino visigodo de Toledo, Exhibition Catalogue, Toledo 2006, S . 59–74 . Taking part in ‘The Transformation of The Roman World’ project and the many discussions with the researchers of the ‘Imperium, Gentes et Regna’ group, especially with Javier Arce, Walter Pohl and Jörg Jarnut, led me to reconsider some of the most problematic points relating to the archaeological characterisation of the Kingdom of Toledo and particularly the question of the cemeteries . 162 Gisela Ripoll tive published volumes should be mentioned . All three formed part of the project entitled The Transformation of the Roman World, and they emerged from within the group led by Walter Pohl, which examined various problems relating to the ethnogenesis of the barbarian groups, their integration, identity and the passage from gens to regnum . The first book in the TRW series published by Brill was that coordinated by Walter Pohl entitled ‘Kingdoms of the Empire: The Integration of Barbarians in Late Antiquity’.3 A year later, Walter Pohl and Helmut Reimitz’s edition of ‘Strategies of Distinction . The Construction of Ethnic Communities, 300–800’ appeared as the second volume in the TRW series .4 The third volume, although its origins lay in the heart of this undertaking, saw the light of day when the project itself had come to an end . Three historians who can be considered to be the leading specialists on these matters, Hans-Werner Goetz, Jörg Jarnut and Walter Pohl, were responsible for this work, entitled ‘Regna and Gentes . The Rela- tionship between Late Antique and Early Medieval Peoples and Kingdoms in the Transformation of the Roman World’ .5 The matters discussed within this group, in which other scholars also participated, are directly linked to the question of the identity and the settlement of the Visigoths in the Iberian Peninsula . The cemeter- ies are a key aspect within this debate . This text will consider questions arising from the archaeological record and its possible interpretation in the light of the texts . 2 . The textual sources The first point that should be considered is that of the historical sources, the ones that refer to the arrival and settlement of the Visigoths in Hispania . These sources cannot be ignored by any researcher dealing with this period who, at one moment or another, has been faced by them, in particular the source that used to be known as the Chronica Caesaraugustana, now called the Consularia . TheConsularia Caesaraugustana indicate the entry and settlement of the Visig- oths in Hispania at two moments, namely the years 494 and 497 .6 The two, almost 3 Pohl, Walter (Hg .): Kingdoms of the Empire . The Integration of Barbarians in Late Antiquity (The Transformation of the Roman World 1), Leiden/Boston/Köln 1997 . 4 Pohl, Wa l t er / Reimitz, Helmut (Hg .): Strategies of Distinction: The Construction of Ethnic Com- munities, 300–800 (The Transformation of the Roman World 2), Leiden/Boston/Köln 1998 . 5 Goetz, Hans-Werner/Jarnut, Jörg/Pohl, Walter (Hg .): Regna and Gentes . The Relationship between Late Antique and Early Medieval Peoples and Kingdoms in the Transformation of the Roman World (The Transformation of the Roman World 13), Leiden/Boston/Köln 2003 . 6 Cardelle de Hartmann, Carmen: Victoris Tvnnvnensis Chronicon cum reliquiis ex Con - sularibus Caesaraugustanis et Iohannis Biclarensis Chronicon (CCL 173 A), Turnhout 2001; Kulikowski, Michael: Late Roman Spain and its Cities, Baltimore/London 2004; Arce, Javier: Bárbaros y romanos en Hispania (400–507 A . D .), Madrid 2005; Koch, Manuel: Gotthi intra Hispanias sedes acceperunt . Consideraciones sobre la supuesta inmigración visigoda en la Península Ibérica, in: Pyrenae 37/2 (2006), S . 83–104 . Manuel Koch has recently considered the possible inter- pretations that these two passages in the Consularia should be given as regards the Visigothic set- tlement; although his hypotheses are thought-provoking, they are not conclusive; see ibid . I should .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Autor: Maria Joana Gomes [email protected] Title: to Be Or
    Guarecer. Revista Electrónica de Estudos Medievais Autor: Maria Joana Gomes [email protected] Title: To be or not be (a Goth): Gothic origins and the construction of identity of Iberian kingdoms (10th-12th centuries) Abstract: The genealogical connection of medieval kings of Spain to a specific people – the Visigoths – became among of the most important tools of legitimation used in the historiography written in the North-western Iberian Christian kingdoms. Chronicles and documents written under the direct command of king Alfonso III of Asturias affirmed the Gothic origins of the Asturian dynasty, an ideological current known as Neogothicism. In the same manner, and throughout the 11th-12th centuries, chronicles and documents issued by kings of León, successors of the Asturian kings, also used continuity with the Gothic past to consolidate the power of that dynasty. However, texts coming from other geographies, namely the territories of the recently formed kingdom of Portugal, opted for an alternative view of the past and of the origins of the realm, establishing other kinds of connections to validate the emergence of this new political entity. The aim of this paper is to show how continuity and discontinuity were used as an identity mark and a legitimation strategy in a set of texts written between the 10th and 12th centuries in Asturias, León and Portugal. Keywords: Visigoths; Neogothicism; Asturias; León; Portugal; Continuity; Discontinuity; Historiography. 23 Maria Joana Gomes Resumo: As relações genealógicas dos reis ibéricos com os visigóticos foi uma das ferramentas de legitimação usada pelos historiógrafos dos reinos cristãos do noroeste da Península Ibérica. As crónicas escritas na corte de Afonso III das Astúrias afirmaram a origem gótica da dinastia régias asturiana, uma corrente ideológica que se tornou conhecida como Neogoticismo.
    [Show full text]
  • Medieval Spain
    1 MEDIEVAL SPAIN 6 Which photos show legacies from the Visigothic period? LET’S BEGIN 1 Do you recognise the building in the large photo? Does the architectural style look the same or different to buildings in your town? 2 Which of these periods came before the Middle Ages? Which one came after? the Modern Age • Ancient History 3 What are some of the legacies of the Roman Empire that we can find in Spain today? 4 Which groups of people do you think lived in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages? What do you know? Let’s find out! Useful language I think … came before / after the Middle Ages. 7 Reflect 1 Look at the timeline and match the sentences in your notebook. 218 BC AD 711 1492 Roman rule Moorish rule Christian rule 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1500 ANCIENT HISTORY MIDDLE AGES AD 476 Visigothic rule a The Visigoths ruled in the Iberian Peninsula … 1 … in Ancient History. b The Visigoths and the Moors ruled … 2 … in the Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages. c The Romans ruled in the Iberian Peninsula … 3 … around 1,000 years. d The Middle Ages in Spain lasted for … 4 … after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. 2 Say what each photo is. Order the photos from oldest to newest. a b c 3 What is the centre of your town like? a Are the streets narrow or wide? b Does the centre of your town look the same as it does in the suburbs? How are they different? c Think of two famous monuments in your town.
    [Show full text]
  • The Last Horizons of Roman Gaul: Communication, Community, and Power at the End of Antiquity
    The Last Horizons of Roman Gaul: Communication, Community, and Power at the End of Antiquity The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Wilkinson, Ryan Hayes. 2015. The Last Horizons of Roman Gaul: Communication, Community, and Power at the End of Antiquity. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:17467211 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA The Last Horizons of Roman Gaul: Communication, Community, and Power at the End of Antiquity A dissertation presented by Ryan Hayes Wilkinson to The Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of History Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts May 2015 © 2015 Ryan Hayes Wilkinson All rights reserved. Dissertation Advisor: Professor Michael McCormick Ryan Hayes Wilkinson The Last Horizons of Roman Gaul: Communication, Community, and Power at the End of Antiquity Abstract In the fifth and sixth centuries CE, the Roman Empire fragmented, along with its network of political, cultural, and socio-economic connections. How did that network’s collapse reshape the social and mental horizons of communities in one part of the Roman world, now eastern France? Did new political frontiers between barbarian kingdoms redirect those communities’ external connections, and if so, how? To address these questions, this dissertation focuses on the cities of two Gallo-Roman tribal groups.
    [Show full text]
  • Gothic Introduction – Part 1: Linguistic Affiliations and External History Roadmap
    RYAN P. SANDELL Gothic Introduction – Part 1: Linguistic Affiliations and External History Roadmap . What is Gothic? . Linguistic History of Gothic . Linguistic Relationships: Genetic and External . External History of the Goths Gothic – Introduction, Part 1 2 What is Gothic? . Gothic is the oldest attested language (mostly 4th c. CE) of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European family. It is the only substantially attested East Germanic language. Corpus consists largely of a translation (Greek-to-Gothic) of the biblical New Testament, attributed to the bishop Wulfila. Primary manuscript, the Codex Argenteus, accessible in published form since 1655. Grammatical Typology: broadly similar to other old Germanic languages (Old High German, Old English, Old Norse). External History: extensive contact with the Roman Empire from the 3rd c. CE (Romania, Ukraine); leading role in 4th / 5th c. wars; Gothic kingdoms in Italy, Iberia in 6th-8th c. Gothic – Introduction, Part 1 3 What Gothic is not... Gothic – Introduction, Part 1 4 Linguistic History of Gothic . Earliest substantively attested Germanic language. • Only well-attested East Germanic language. The language is a “snapshot” from the middle of the 4th c. CE. • Biblical translation was produced in the 4th c. CE. • Some shorter and fragmentary texts date to the 5th and 6th c. CE. Gothic was extinct in Western and Central Europe by the 8th c. CE, at latest. In the Ukraine, communities of Gothic speakers may have existed into the 17th or 18th century. • Vita of St. Cyril (9th c.) mentions Gothic as a liturgical language in the Crimea. • Wordlist of “Crimean Gothic” collected in the 16th c.
    [Show full text]
  • THARP-THESIS-2021.Pdf
    Danishness in the Viking Age: Violence, Christianity, and Boundary Perception in the Construction of Medieval Danish Identity by Jessica Tharp, B.A. A Thesis In History Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS Approved John Howe, Ph.D. Chair of the Committee Gretchen Adams, Ph.D. Mark Sheridan Dean of the Graduate School May, 2021 Copyright 2021, Jessica Tharp Texas Tech University, Jessica Tharp, May 2021 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are numerous people who have helped me throughout the course of writing this thesis. First, I would like to thank my committee members, Dr. John Howe and Dr. Gretchen Adams, for their patience and invaluable feedback throughout the production process. I would also like to thank Dr. Sydnor Roy for her instrumental assistance in translating early medieval Latin, as well as her encouragement and advice. Thank you also to the numerous professors within the History Department at Texas Tech University who encouraged and helped me grow as a scholar. ii Texas Tech University, Jessica Tharp, May 2021 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... iv I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1 II. THE THEORETICAL LANDSCAPE ........................................................
    [Show full text]
  • From Caesar to Tacitus: Changes in Early Germanic Governance Circa 50 BC-50 AD
    From Caesar to Tacitus: Changes in Early Germanic Governance circa 50 BC-50 AD Andrew T. Young College of Business and Economics West Virginia University Morgantown, WV 26506-6025 ph: 304 293 4526 em: [email protected] Latest Version: November 2014 JEL Codes: D72, N43, N93, P16, Keywords: governance institutions, constitutional exchange, antiquity, early Germanic peoples, the Roman Empire, political economy, Julius Caesar, Tacitus, roving versus stationary bandits, ancient economic history 0 From Caesar to Tacitus: Changes in Early Germanic Governance circa 50 BC-50 AD Abstract: Julius Caesar and Cornelius Tacitus provide characterizations of early Germanic (barbarian) society around, respectively, 50 BC and 50 AD. The earlier date corresponds to expansion of Rome to the Rhine and Danube. During the subsequent century Germanic governance institutions changed in a number of ways. In particular, (1) temporary military commanders elected from the nobility gave way to standing retinues under the leadership of professional commanders, (2) public assemblies met more frequently and regularly, (3) councils made up of nobility gained agenda control in the assemblies, and (4) these councils relinquished their control over the allocations of land. I account for these constitutional exchanges in light of Rome’s encroachment upon Germania. In particular, it brought new sources of wealth and also constraints on the expansion of Germans into new lands. Incentives favored a reallocation of resources away from pastoralism and towards both sedentary farming and raids across the frontier. JEL Codes: D72, N43, N93, P16, Keywords: governance institutions, constitutional exchange, antiquity, early Germanic peoples, the Roman Empire, political economy, Julius Caesar, Tacitus, roving versus stationary bandits, ancient economic history 1 1.
    [Show full text]
  • The Aristocracy and the Monarchy in Northwest Iberia Between the Eighth and the Eleventh Century*
    chapter 6 The Aristocracy and the Monarchy in Northwest Iberia between the Eighth and the Eleventh Century* Amancio Isla Historians commonly cite the power of the lay and ecclesiastical aristocracy as one of the distinctive features of Galicia in the central Middle Ages. This study proposes to trace the origins of these elites in the early Middle Ages, investigat- ing developments that reach back as far as the Visigothic period. It will exam- ine the foundations of aristocratic power; their acquisition of offices, titles, and wealth; and their enrichment and aggrandizement through their ties with the monarchy and their occupation and settlement of newly conquered lands. On the Origins of the Kingdom of the Asturs The most recent historiography has tended to downplay the impact of the Muslim conquest of Iberia during the century following the invasion of 711.1 If the recent arrivals took command of what may be termed—with some exag- geration—the central power, local activity and society were hardly altered for several decades. The conquest had even less impact in the extreme north and northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. The Muslim presence in these northern territories was greatly affected by the Berber revolt against the Arabs, a struggle that took place in the Maghreb as well as in the Iberian Peninsula. Arab sources indicate that the Arabs had to withdraw to the central mountain ranges of the peninsula as a result of the rebellion of 740–741. As a result, they effectively lost control of the northern Meseta and the extreme north and northwest of the peninsula.2 The new cir- cumstances favored the growth of the kingdom of the Asturs, a political entity * This article is part of a wider study funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educación: hum2005-03819/hist) 1 Studying the history of al-Andalus, Manzano (2000) and Acién (2000) both minimize the impact of the conquest throughout the peninsula in the first decades after 711.
    [Show full text]
  • The Growth of Gothic Identity in Visigothic Spain: the Evidence of Textual Sources
    University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ScholarWorks @ UTRGV History Faculty Publications and Presentations College of Liberal Arts 2015 The Growth of Gothic Identity in Visigothic Spain: The Evidence of Textual Sources Erica Buchberger The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/hist_fac Part of the European Languages and Societies Commons, History Commons, and the Medieval Studies Commons Recommended Citation Buchberger, Erica. 2015 “The Growth of Gothic Identity in Visigothic Spain: The Evidence of Textual Sources.” In Identidad y Etnicidad En Hispania. Propuestas Teóricas y Cultura Material En Los Siglos V- VIII, by Juan Antonio Quirós Castillo and Santiago Castellanos García, 1st ed., 87–100. Bilbao: Universidad del País Vasco. This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Liberal Arts at ScholarWorks @ UTRGV. It has been accepted for inclusion in History Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ UTRGV. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. The Growth of Gothic Identity in Visigothic Spain: The Evidence of Textual Sources Introduction In recent years, scholars have made significant progress in understanding the transition from a Roman world to a medieval world in Spain. New archaeological excavations have added to our knowledge of the early medieval landscape, and increasingly analytical discussions of the labels used to describe people and objects have brought new depth to both historical and archaeological studies. In place of black and white visions of Goth vs. Roman and continuity vs.
    [Show full text]
  • Barbarians and Taxes*
    chapter 10 Barbarians and Taxes* 1 Introduction One of the problems occupying scholars researching the Dark Ages to day is the extent of the specifically barbarian or Germanic contribution to the trans- formation of the Roman world. To day no scholar would argue that the barbar- ian successor kingdoms were totally or largely, Germanic. It is the opposite thesis, that the successor kingdoms were still in all essential Roman, that the transformation that took place was the result of natural evolution, and that Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Vandals and Franks contributed nothing, or practically nothing of their own traditions, which is very popular today.1 The study of what became of the Roman world system of taxation in the suc- cessor kingdoms can contribute to this discussion. The Later Roman Empire had an elaborate and very sophisticated system of taxation, which made use of coins, bureaucracy, and a great deal of written documentation. None of these things existed among the gentes before they entered the Empire. How did the Germanic kings deal with this situation? Nobody looking at the Later Roman could fail to observe that it had a com- plicated and highly sophisticated tax on land, and that while the greater part of the revenue from that tax was spent on the army, a not inconsiderable part was used to pay the large bureaucracy required for the administration of the tax. This land-tax and the large bureaucracy were features which sharply dis- tinguished the organisation of the Later Empire from both that of the early Empire and that of the barbarian successor kingdoms.
    [Show full text]
  • Religious Exemption in Pre-Modern Eurasia, C. 300 -1300 Ce
    medieval worlds comparative & interdisciplinary studies No. 6/2017 RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION IN PRE-MODERN EURASIA, C. 300 -1300 CE medieval worlds comparative & interdisciplinary studies medieval worlds comparative & interdisciplinary studies Volume 2017.6 Religious Exemption in Pre-Modern Eurasia, c. 300-1300 CE Guest Editor: Charles West medieval worlds comparative & interdisciplinary studies All rights reserved ISSN 2412-3196 Online Edition Media Owner: Institute for Medieval Research Copyright © 2017 by Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Cover design, layout: Anneke Gerloff Austrian Academy of Sciences Press Dr. Ignaz Seipel Platz 2, 1010 Vienna, Austria Tel. +43-1-515 81/DW 3402-3406 Fax +43-1-515 81/DW 3400 hw.oeaw.ac.at, verlag.oeaw.ac.at Editors Walter Pohl, Austrian Academy of Sciences/University of Vienna Andre Gingrich, Austrian Academy of Sciences/University of Vienna Editorial Board Maximilian Diesenberger, Austrian Academy of Sciences Bert Fragner, Austrian Academy of Sciences Christian Gastgeber, Austrian Academy of Sciences Johann Heiß, Austrian Academy of Sciences Claudia Rapp, Austrian Academy of Sciences/University of Vienna Irene van Renswoude, Huygens Institute for the History of the Netherlands/ Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Pavlína Rychterová, Austrian Academy of Sciences Veronika Wieser, Austrian Academy of Sciences International Advisory Board Glenn Bowman , University of Kent Sabrina Corbellini, University of Groningen Mayke de Jong, Utrecht University Nicola di Cosmo, Institute for Advanced Study,
    [Show full text]
  • Difference and Accommodation in Visigothic Gaul and Spain
    San Jose State University SJSU ScholarWorks Master's Theses Master's Theses and Graduate Research Spring 2010 Difference and Accommodation in Visigothic Gaul and Spain Craig H. Schamp San Jose State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses Recommended Citation Schamp, Craig H., "Difference and Accommodation in Visigothic Gaul and Spain" (2010). Master's Theses. 3789. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.26vu-jqpq https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/3789 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Master's Theses and Graduate Research at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DIFFERENCE AND ACCOMMODATION IN VISIGOTHIC GAUL AND SPAIN A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of History San José State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Craig H. Schamp May 2010 © 2010 Craig H. Schamp ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The Designated Thesis Committee Approves the Thesis Titled DIFFERENCE AND ACCOMMODATION IN VISIGOTHIC GAUL AND SPAIN by Craig H. Schamp APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY May 2010 Dr. John W. Bernhardt Department of History Dr. Jonathan P. Roth Department of History Dr. Nancy P. Stork Department of English and Comparative Literature ABSTRACT DIFFERENCE AND ACCOMMODATION IN VISIGOTHIC GAUL AND SPAIN by Craig H. Schamp This thesis examines primary sources in fifth- and sixth-century Gaul and Spain and finds a surprising lack of concern for ethnicity.
    [Show full text]
  • The Migration of the Vandals and the Suebi to the Roman West and Archaeological Accounts
    ACTA ARCHAEOLOGICA CARPATHICA VOL. LV (2020): 197–214 PL ISSN 0001-5229 DOI 10.4467/00015229AAC.20.008.13513 MICHEL KAZANSKI The migration of the Vandals and the Suebi to the Roman West and archaeological accounts Abstract: This article addresses a few archaeological finds from the earliest stage of the Great Migration Period (late fourth to the first half of the fifth century AD) in the territory of the Western Roman Empire related to Central Europe by origin, which could testify to the migration of the Vandals and the Suebi to the Roman West in 406 AD. These finds comprise different types of crossbow brooches discovered in the Roman provinces in Gallia, Spain, and North Africa, which parallels originate from the lands to the north of the Danube, in the zone where the Vandals and the Suebi lived by the moment of the migration to the West in 406 AD. Besides, some features of the funeral rite discovered in the early Great Migration Period in Eastern Gallia, particularly ritually destroyed weapons, meet with analogies in the cemeteries of Central European barbarians, particularly in the Przeworsk culture. These archaeological pieces of evidence were partially related to the arrival of the Vandals and the Suebi to the Roman Empire’s territory in 406 AD, and also reflected the presence of the Central European barbarians in the Roman military service. Keywords: Vandals, Suebi, Great Migration Period, Western Roman Empire This article will present a short review of archaeological finds from the earliest stage of the Great Migration Period (late fourth to the first half of the fifth century AD) in the territory of the Western Roman Empire (Gallia, Hispania, Africa), which origin was related to Central Europe, precisely to the region north of the Danube and the southern and middle Vistula basin.
    [Show full text]