gems, ancient history

Between the end of the 4th century and the beginning of the 5th, the area between the steppes north of the Black Sea and the middle and lower course of the Danube was a melting pot of peoples conventionally defined as East Germanic (Vandals, Ostrogoths and Visigoths, Gepids, Rugii, Heruli, Sciri), but also of groups from the steppes, of Iranian origin such as the Alans or Turkic-Mongolic like the Huns. Linked by intense political and military relations and sharing strong traits of tribal organization, and in some cases also linguistic and religious features, archaeology reveals a relatively homogeneous character of the material culture that developed in this phase—of East Germanic origin, but incorporating strong nomadic-Hunnic influences, without excluding high-quality artifacts of Mediterranean provenance (silverware and jewelry). Thus, in the richest graves appear precious gold artifacts enhanced with set almandines or arranged in cloisonné sequences, a widespread fashion that also inspired the arched fibulae, generally worn in pairs on the shoulders, which among certain groups replaced the silver-sheet examples; these may sometimes be accompanied by earrings, armlets, and necklaces of clear Mediterranean origin; it was also common among higher social classes to adopt garments adorned with small gold appliqués. As these peoples spread within the borders of the empire, this taste also became widespread, characterizing the elites of the emerging Romano-barbarian kingdoms and giving rise to fairly distinct typological developments.