Istvánovits Eszter: International Connections... (Jósa András Múzeum Kiadványai 47. Aszód-Nyíregyháza, 2001)
Halina Dobrzanska: Contacts between Sarmatians and the Przeworsk Culture community
Another Bosporan coin found in Nowy S30Z—Zabelcze is dated a little earlier, either to the end of the 1 st c. B.C. or the beginning of the 1 st c. A.D. The coins that were minted on the northern coast of the Black Sea must have been brought to the Polish Carpathians along the Dniester by Sarmatians (MADYDA-LEGUTKO 1996, 47, 105). On the basis of archaeological finds, the first half of the 3 rd c. A.D., or more precisely, the first three decades must be considered a particularly important period for contacts between the people of the Przeworsk Culture and Sarmatians. Bronze crossbow fibulas similar to the specimens of type A VII (the type characteristic for Sarmatian peoples both in the North Pontic region and on the Great Hungarian Plain) are dated to that period. Those fibulae, typical for women's clothes, were also made beyond the borders of the above-mentioned regions, for instance in Thuringia. They may have also been made on the territories inhabited by the population of the Przeworsk Culture (fig. 4), as their iron specimens would indicate (MACZYNSKA 1998, 19). According to P. Kaczanowski (KACZANOWSKI 1988, 61-63), the greatest number of decorated spearheads of the Przeworsk Culture can also be dated to the same period (fig. 5). M. Biborski (BIBORSKI 1986, 129, 131) is of the opinion that the custom of decorating spearheads was modelled on Roman swords encrusted with figurative representations and symbolic signs. The signs that occur on the Przeworsk Culture spearheads are interpreted by that researcher as either magical and cult symbols or property symbols. He also points out that they differ from representations of this kind found on spearheads in Northern Europe. However, it must be emphasized that, contrary to the opinions of the two authors, in addition to runes and runic inscriptions (as well as other signs) at that time, signs that look like tamgas and are often called "Sarmatian" can also be found on the leaf-shaped blades of spearheads ascribed to the Przeworsk Culture. In some cases they exist side by side with runes and other signs (fig. 4). The occurrence of tamga-signs has frequently drawn the attention of archaeologists (SOLOMONIK 1959, 44, ris. VIII; SULIMIRSKI 1961/62, 70, pi. I). Recently, Shchukin has included the signs on the spearheads from the cemeteries in Bodzanowo, Poland and Valle, Norway among the tamga-signs of King Pharzoios (SHCHUKIN 1994, 486, 488, fig. 22, 25.). While the Valle find is dated to phase B2 Fig. 4 Examples of the crossbow fibulas of "Sarmatian" type. 1: Spicymierz, Wielkopolskie Voivodship, grave 81 (after KIETLINSKA-DABROWSKA 1963, pl. XI: 25), 2: Chorula, Opolskie Voivodship, grave 150 (after SZYDLOWSKI 1964, 116, fig. 123), 3: Krapkowice, Opolskie Voivodship, grave 6 (after MACZYNSKA 1971, 259, fig. 8)
