gems, ancient jewelry, early metallurgy, gold

The city of Tortona (province of Alessandria, Piedmont, Italy) is well known for its Ostrogothic artefacts. Most of these were discovered by chance during the 19th century and collected by the local scholar Cesare Di Negro-Carpani; precise information about the exact findspots and circumstances of discovery is lacking. However, archival research suggests they are grave goods from a burial ground north of the city, located along the Via Postumia. In this suburban area, the presence of a church dedicated to Saints Simon and Jude—possibly of early Christian foundation—has been recorded since the 10th century. The presence of Ostrogothic material in Tortona is not unexpected, as a letter from Cassiodorus (Variae I, 17) addressed to “the Goths and Romans living in Tortona” informs us of King Theodoric’s intention to reinforce the castle situated on a hill near the city. These finds thus provide significant confirmation of the historical record. The presence of precious belt buckles also suggests the burial of high-ranking males, likely of military status. Particularly noteworthy is a buckle with a rectangular plate and a loop of equal width, decorated in cloisonné (inv. no. 329; figs. 1–2).