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

Eduard Krekovic: Roman fibulas in Slovakia

only 2 pieces can legitimately be considered to belong to the type of Pannonian trumpet fibulas, but it is also possible to regard several other pieces of this type as imports. Other brooches from the 2

nd c. are of western origin: we know 3 with enamelled bow (fig. 3: 5, 10-11) and 1 with openwork bow (fig. 3: 13). The latter, as well as some plate brooches with enamel (fig. 3: 6-7), may have continued to be present into the 3

rd c. Golden brooches from two chieftain graves at Osztropataka/Ostrovany, representing specific types, certainly belong to the 3

rd c. - or, more precisely, to the last quarter of that century. Not all golden fibulas from these graves were imported from the Roman Empire. I regard the fibula with the inscription UTERE FELIX (fig. 2: 12) as an import, typologically following the brooches with twice-bent bow from the first half of the 3

rd c. (BÖHME 1972, 29). The oval-shaped brooch with an onyx affixed (fig. 2: 13) is also a Roman product, as the analysis by V. Soupault-Becqeuelin recently reconfirmed (SOUPAULT-BECQEUELIN 1997, 262). The last fibula from Osztropataka/ Ostrovany considered to be an import is a piece reminiscent of the crossbow brooches, but with only two knobs (fig. 2: 11- there are no traces of the third knob). From the 4

th c, we know of only 14 pieces of crossbow fibulas (fig. 2: 9) in Slovakia, but it must be remarked that none of them come from excavation and even the circumstances of their discovery have not been clearly established. Thus, 271 Roman fibulas have been found in Slovakia: 1

st c. - 206 (73.3 o/o) 2

nd c. - 48 (17.8 %) 3

rd c. -3(0.14%) 4

th c. - 14 (0.68 °/o) Of these, 33 pieces come from the western provinces (fig. 4), the rest having probably been manufactured in Pannónia or Noricum. Of interest in this regard is the comparison with Bohemia, where 105 brooches (21 types) of western origin have Fig. 4 The spread of western fibulas