Istvánovits Eszter: International Connections... (Jósa András Múzeum Kiadványai 47. Aszód-Nyíregyháza, 2001)

Eduard Krekovic: Roman fibulas in Slovakia

Roman fibulas in Slovakia Eduard Krekovic From the quantitative point of view, fibulas belong to the more notable kinds of Roman imports in Slovakia. They were obviously imported in large quantities, along with various types of pottery and bronze vessels. Whereas in 1970 J. Wielowiejski adduced only 95 imported brooches in Slovakia (WIELOWIEJSKI 1970, 40), today we know almost three times as many - 271 pieces from 62 sites (fig. 1). The great majority of them - 206 pieces - come from the 1

st c. A.D. These are predominantly strongly profiled fibulas of type A 67-68. There were 148 pieces of this type found (54.8% of all Roman brooches - fig. 2: 2-3). Also indicative of the 1

st c. is the relatively frequent presence of typical Noric-Pannonian fibulas of type A 236-237 (16 pieces - fig. 2: 5) and A 238 (14 pieces - fig. 2: 1). Pieces with an animal head on the bow (3 pieces - fig. 2: 4) and one strongly profiled fibula of Okorág type (fig. 2: 8) can be included among the Pannonian brooches. However, we know several fibulas of western origin that also belong to this period. Most of them (8 pieces - fig. 3: 8, 12) belong to the hinged-pin brooches with divided plate bow, but brooches of Aucissa type appear as well (4 pieces - fig. 3: 2). The plate brooches from the 1

st c. (10 pieces - fig. 3: 4, 9) can also be included among those of western origin. Finally, there are two other types datable to the 1

st c. each of which occurs only once: A 19 and Langton-Down types (fig. 3: 3, 1). In the 2

nd c. the number and variety of fibulas began to decline. We know 48 pieces datable to this period divided into a mere six basic types. Most frequent are the Pannonian brooches: knee fibulas (20 pieces - fig. 2: 6-7) and late strongly-profiled fibulas as well (17 pieces - fig. 2: 10). The remaining four types are found less frequently: