COMPOSITE FIBULA OF WESTERN BALTS ON THE MEDIEVAL CROSSING

Abstract

Thanks to a comparative analysis of several finds of Merovingian brooches from different regions of the Western Baltic area, it turned out that the tradition of composite brooches appeared in the Baltic world in the 6th century. and was realized on crossbow fibulae of local construction, decorated with ornaments in the 1st All-German animal style. Such clasps, unique for the material of the Merovingian era, were made by Scandinavian craftsmen for local girls who went on a matrimonial trip to the West Baltic lands or as a wedding gift for Prussian and Masurian grooms. With a certain degree of caution, it can be assumed that the composite brooches of the 7th-8th centuries. with a solar sign can also relate to matrimonial contacts between representatives of the Western Baltic tribes. True, in contrast to the male brooches of large size with animal ornaments, the investigated composite brooches were part of the female attire. The difference between the fibulae of the 7th-8th centuries. from crossbow brooches with animal decor - not a combination of shapes and ornaments of different cultures, but the splicing of brooches of different tribes into a single product.

Keywords

• composite brooches
• prussians