Istvánovits Eszter (szerk.): A nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum Évkönyve 55. (Nyíregyháza, 2013)

A 2010. október 11-14. között Nyíregyházán és Szatmárnémetiben megtartott Vándorló és letelepült barbárok a kárpáti régióban és a szomszédos területeken (I-V. század) Új leletek, új értelmezések című nemzetközi régészeti konferencia anyagai - N. Ju. Limberis - I. I. Marchenko: Szarmata lovas sírja egy meót földvár temetőjében

Renata Madyda-Legutko — Judyta Rodziriska-Nowak — Joanna Zagórska-Telega

(Raddatz 1957. 95-96). It should be emphasised that buckles of that type worn by the Przeworsk Culture warriors were usually made of iron. Bronze specimens occurred only sporadically. However, few finds of bronze buckles with rectangular frames and double spikes, accompanied by bronze belt terminals, are known from the territory occupied by the Wielbark Culture. Belt terminal from Prusiek, very large and massive, should be recognised as unique within the Przeworsk Culture territory. So far, the only analogies for the open-work ending of an artefact in question come from the Wielbark Culture milieu (Madyda-Legutko 2011.).

Results of the hitherto studies on materials from Prusiek indicate that the discovered graves should be dated to the close of phase B2 of the Early Roman Period and to the beginning of the Late Roman Period, i.e. the early stage of phase Cia (B2/C1 horizon). People using the necropolis in question originated, at least partially, from the so-called eastern zone of the Przeworsk Culture, that is to say, from the left-bank Masovia. This is supported by some of the metal objects, style of the hand-made pottery and certain traits of burial rite. Migration of the Przeworsk Culture population up the San River was most likely connected with the general direction of this culture’s expansion to the Upper Tisza Basin, which is reflected by grave finds from Eastern Slovakia, Transcarpathian Ukraine, North-Eastern Hungary and North-Western Romania. From the above mentioned territories we know funeral sites revealing traits typical for the Przeworsk Culture, such as the specific set of weaponry or the custom of ritual bending of weapons. These sites are dated to the late stage of phase B2 and to phase Cl (Budinsky-Kricka 1967, 309-310, Budinsky-Kricka-Lamiová-Schmiedlová 1990., Lamiová-Schmiedlová-MaCala 1991., Lamiová-Schmiedlová 1992. 75-78, Fig. 2, Godlowski 1985. 82-84, Fig. 6, Godlowski 1994. 72, 73, Fig. 2). From the territory in question we also know single metal artefacts or vessels, which were typical for the Przeworsk Culture (Lamiová-Schmiedlová 1969. 463-466). On the transition between the Early and Late Roman Periods, the Przeworsk population penetrated the Upper Dniester Basin, too (Smiszko 1932., Kozak 1984. map 1, Godlowski 1985. 81,82, Fig. 5).

Presented facts perfectly correspond to the appearance of the Vandal tribes - the Hasdingi, Lacringi and Victovali - recorded by written sources. These tribes are commonly assumed to have originated from the territory of the Przeworsk Culture. They appeared on the borders of Dacia during the Marcomannic Wars (Cassius Dio LXXI, 12, 1, Godlowski 1982. 48-49, Godlowski 2000. 28). Therefore, the cemetery at Prusiek links the burial materials of the Przeworsk Culture from the Lower San with the similar materials discovered in the Upper Tisza Basin. The issues concerned with the decline of the Roman Period settlement in the Upper San Basin require further studies. An important part of these studies should include excavations of settlements recorded during field surveys.

Translated by Piotr M. Godlewski

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