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

Eduard Krekovic: Roman fibulas in Slovakia

been found dated to the initial phases of the Roman Period, mainly to the reign of Marobod, i.e. Bla (DROBERJAR 1997, 277). Within the next phase (Bib) the number of western brooches begins to fall and their typological diversity becomes limited as well (DROBERJAR 1997,285). Political developments within the Barbaricum were concentrated in the territory of Southwestern Slovakia, where the so-called Vannius Kingdom arose. The transfer of the power centre from the territory of Bohemia to that of Slovakia is also illustrated by the fibulas of Pannonian provenance. In Slovakia, many early Roman brooches are either absent or very scarce. On the other hand, slightly later brooches appear only rarely in Bohemia. A good example is provided by the fibulas of type A67 and 68. The former type is concentrated in Bohemia and the latter in Slovakia, where it is encountered more often than anywhere else in the whole Barbaricum (fig. 5 - see also WIELOWIEJSKI 1970, 40). Given their quantity and variety, it has been assumed that at least some of them were produced by the barbarians (WIELOWIEJSKI 1970, 40). The early brooches appear relatively often in Northern Slovakia on the territory of the Puchov Culture; for example, 5 of the 7 sites with A67 brooches are found in this region. This fact could show evidence of some power centre existing in Northern Slovakia that had survived since the La Tène period and maintained relations with the Roman provinces. With the rise of the Vannius Kingdom in southwest, the significance of this power centre declined, and we find fewer imported fibulas here. All these facts support the assumption that Roman goods flowed above all to barbarian power centres. Roman (and other) brooches occur throughout the Barbaricum mainly in cemeteries. The settlement finds are, of course, less common: those not put in graves were probably worn until they were damaged. Then, the brooch might be melted and the raw material used for producing a new brooch or for another purpose. Most of Fig. 5 The spread of A 67-68 fibulas