Annular brooches from the 13th and 14th century from Vojvodina

Abstract

By studying the features and contexts of the discovery of annular brooches from Vojvodina the author puts forward a proposal of their typology, in an effort to comprehend their layered functionality, both utilitarian and symbolic - particularly apotropaic. Special emphasis is placed on the interpretation of individual inscriptions. By placing the presented brooches in a broader geographic context and comparing them with analogous finds from neighbouring states, the author reaches interesting conclusions about the time and manner of their use, their potential producers, the directions of their expansion, and the distributors and bearers, highlighting the differences between discrete groups of finds.

Keywords

• Brooch
• annular brooch
• buckle
• inscription
• Middle Ages
• identity