Buckle bail

The bow of a silver fibula, found in 1916 in the town of Trzebiatów, most probably comes from a larger hoard consisting of al least four gilded silver filbulae that were originally in the collection of the Museum in Trzebiatów. The decorative brooches, known as fibulae, were used to fasten the outer garments. The presented fragment of the fibula us gilded and decorated with a beaded wire. The foot is ornamented with beads running around the edge, while its inside is filled with stamped ornaments of concentric circles and semicircles. Typologically, this specimen is similar to Wiesbaden type of fibula, which became popular in Barbaricum (the lands beyond the borders of the Roman Empire) in the 5th century, on the area between the rivers Ren and Elbe to the west and Scandinavia and Oder river to the northeast. The ornament decorating the fibula in the style similar to Sösdala stamp design, allows classifying the fibula to the eastern variety of the type mentioned. This fibula should be associated with the people of the Dębczyno group and dated to the first half of the 5th century. Similar finds from the Baltic area are interpreted as cult deposits (offerings to deities).

Monika Witek