Fülöp Éva Mária - László János (szerk.): Komárom-Esztergom Megyei Múzeumok közleményei 16. (Tata, 2011)
Mráv Zsolt: Egy késő 3. századi, niellóberakással díszített, középgyűrűs bronz szíjvégveret
Egy késő 3. századi, niellóberakással díszített, középgyűrűs bronz szíjvégveret Brigetióból TÓTH 1980 Tóth, E.: Römische Métáiig egenstände mit Inschriften im Ungarischen Nationalmuseum: Instrumenta Domestica. FolArch 31 (1980) 131-154-TÓTH 1985 Tóth E.: Római gyűrűk ésfibulák. Évezredek és évszázadok kincsei III. Budapest 1985. TÓTH 2008 Tóth E.: A székesfehérvári ókeresztény korláttöredék - Ein altchristicher Schrankenpfeiler aus Székesfehérvár. ArchÉrt 133 (2008) 49-66. UBL 1969 Ubl, H.-J.: Waffen und Uniform des römischen Heeres der Prinzipatsepoche nach den Grabreliefs Noricums und Pannoniens. Diss. Univ. Wien 1969. UBL 2002 Ubl, H.-J.: Ein „Ringschnallencingulum” aus Lauriacum. In: (A cura di M. Buora) Miles Romanus dal Po al Danubio nel Tardoantico. Atti del Convegno internazionale Pordenone - Concordia Sagittaria 17-19 marzo 2000. Pordenone 2002, 276-285. VAN DOORSELAER 1967 Van Doorselaer, A.: Les Nécropoles d’époque romaine en Gaule septentrionale. Dissertationes Archaeologicae Gandenses 10. Brugge 1967. VASILEV-MITANOV 1974 Vasilev, V. P.-Mitanov, P. : Konservacija na nachodki ot grob ot IV v. V Silistra. Muzei i Pametnici na Kulturata 4/1 (1974) 27-43. VON SCHNURBEIN 1977 Von Schnurbein, S.: Das römische Gräberfeld von Regensburg. Materialhefte zur bayerischen Vorgeschichte Reihe A. Bd. 31. Kallmünz/Opf 1977. VON SCHNURBEIN 1995 Von Schnurbein, S.: Merkus als Soldat? Zur Gürtelmode des 3. Jahrhunderts n. Chr. In: Provinzialrömische Forschungen. Festschrift für Günter Ulbert zum 65. Geburtstag. Espelkamp 1995, 139- 148. WERNER 1989 Werner, J.: Zu den römischen Mantelfibeln zweier Kriegergräbern von Leuna. JMV 72 (1989) 121-134. A LATE THIRD-CENTUR Y NIELLO-INLAID STRAP TERMINAL FROM BRIGETIO ZSOLTMRÁV Late third-century niello-inlaid silver and bronze belt and sword mountings belonged among the equipment and weaponry of the military elite which determined to a great extent the history of the age. These mountings are important not just because of their rarity, but because they represent a high-value, and high-quality category of items from the decorative arts of the period, perhaps the most characteristic group to survive to the present day. The strap terminal with a ring in the middle from Brigetio (Komárom-Ószőny, Komárom-Esztergom County, Hungary) (Pl. 1) was formed a part of a late third-century military belt, like the closest analogy of it from the silver belt mounting set unearthed at Durostorum (Silistra/BG) (Fig. 4). The tinned strap terminal concerned cast from bronze and the likewise bronze belt plate fragment from South-Transdanubia (PL 7) - along with a boatshaped knob from Apulum (Gyulafehérvár/RO) (Fig. 2) - prove that not only silver belt accessories were made with niello-inlay, but also less costly bronze ones, although in much smaller number. The context and occurrence of third-century niello-inlaid militaria is characteristic principally of burials (many of them containing weapons too), settlements, and hoards. Their use can be indicated in the military provinces, in the Danube region especially in settlements with a permanent legionary fortress (Aquincum, Brigetio, Apulum, Durostorum) and elsewhere in those with a temporary legionary garrison (Aquileia - Pi. 9.2). Therefore, first and foremost they must have been worn by legionary officers. On the basis of the styles of their decoration (which are various but nevertheless easy to tell apart), they were made in a number of workshops. According to the distribution of the mountings (Fig. 7), there was at least one such workshop in the Middle-Danube region, perhaps in one of the Pannonian provinces, that belonged to a so called ‘group of eastern workshops’ classified by S. Martin-Kilcher. The Balkan silver mines situated nearby provided the raw material for this workshop, and the privileged soldiers stationed there the solvent customers for its products. The manufacture of these can be estimated as lasting a few decades at most, from 260 to the 280s. These constituted single sets that were closely connected with regard to function. Wearing a cingulum and sword combination indicated the status of its owner as a soldier. As symbols of the different branches of the military service, these were often the most embellished items of their equipment. The late third-century niello-inlaid militaria remained in use for a long time on account of their unusually rich and spectacular decoration. 29 I
