Early Medieval Brooch Gelduba, Bronze

Very elaborate germanic bow brooch of the merovingian age, decorated with a plaited pattern and an animal's head. 6th century AD.

SKU
656001
Lieferzeit
3-4 weeks
€79.00
All prices include VAT, plus shipping costs

Early Medieval Brooch Krefeld-Gellep / Gelduba

A very elaborate germanic bow brooch of the merovingian age with rectangular head plate and and an oval foot plate, which is decorated by an animal´s head. The head plate is surrounded by 3-dimensional buttons. The frankish brooch is made from solid bronze, as well as the functional and authentic pin construction. Size approx. 85 x 40 mm.

Frankish Brooch from Gelduba

Already the germanic tribe of the Ubier founded a city-like settlement, a so-called Oppidum, at the lower Rhine near the modern city of Krefeld. Under Roman rule, a military camp was built south of the settlement called Gelduba, but both the fort and the civilian settlement were destroyed as a result of armed conflicts during the batavian revolt in 69 AD. Remains of a large marching camp, numerous horse carcasses and a mass grave with about 40 individuals and horse skeletons can be dated to this time and are indications for a large battle near Gelduba.

After 71 AD, the garrison continued as a fort for a cohort of an auxiliary unit, and the usual infrastructure developed with bathing facilities, a civilian vicus and a grave field.
After a prolonged peaceful period, Gelduba and its inhabitants were again in distress in the third century. Around 275/275, germanic Franks attacked the settlement and destroyed the military camp, which was later reconstructed by Emperor Diocletian at the end of the 3rd century. It was rebuilt and improved several times with changing crews. But already after about 60 years, at around 352 AD, this fort was also burnt down. A final construction of the fortification is a small bastion secured with thick walls, which was secured with an additional polygonal wall. It is not known whether this last castle was also militarily taken in the 5th century, or was vacated voluntarily. In any case, the Franks dominated the environment of Gelduba in the following centuries. Possibly, the late Roman fort was used as a seat of the royal court, and the Roman burial ground was still in use further into the Merovingian period. It was only in the eighth century that the settlement of Geldubas seems to be demolished.

The ruins of the castle of Geduba were preserved until the 13th century.

The grave field of Gellep / Gelduba was discovered in 1936 by Albert Steeger. The great importance lies in the continuous occupation from Roman times to the epoch of the Frankish Merovingians. With some 6300 burials, Gelduba is the largest Roman-Franconian burial ground north of the Alps.

Grave 1803 is one of the most magnificent burials in Gellep. In addition to jewelery pieces such as a disk brooch with almandine inlays, glass and amber beads and filigree gold plated pendants, also two elaborate frankish bow brooches were among the discovered accessories. The two similar brooches were made from gilded silver with braided ribbon adornments and ends in the form of animal heads. Grave 1803 of Gellep dated into the 2nd half of the 6th century AD.

More Information
Delivery time 3-4 weeks
weight 0.080000
size 85 x 40 mm
Era Merovingian Age
Material Bronze
Kind of replica Fibulae and Brooches
scope of delivery With jewellery case
Write Your Own Review
You're reviewing:Early Medieval Brooch Gelduba, Bronze