Crossbow fibulae from Gamzigrad (Romuliana)

Abstract

In the site of Gamzigrad - Felix Romuliana 31 crossbow fibulae (Zwiebelknopffibeln) were found. Except the finds from large Roman necropolis, the crossbow fibulae from Gamzigrad compose a large collection from one site in Serbia. The most of them were found in the exactly stratified archaeological units of two horizons of life in Romuliana from the beginning of 4th to the middle of 5th century. Two kinds of analysis of the crossbow fibulae from Romuliana were made: morphological - typological and statigraphical - chronological. Conclusions about the function and production of the crossbow fibulae have been made according the results of these analysis.

Romans, barbarians and foederati: New biomolecular data and a possible region of origin for “Headless Romans” and other burials from Britain

“…Additional "exotic" burials have been identified from Roman Britain providing links to the Eastern borders of the Empire. Several individuals at the Lankhills (Booth et al, 2010) were buried with onion-headed cross-bow brooches (Figure 3) analogous with those worn by army and/or barbarians bound by foedus to the Roman Empire in Dacia and Moesia during the 4 th and 5 th Cent AD (Petkovic, 2011). The similarities in the craftsmanship and individuals with isotopes matching the proposed Transylvania range strongly support origins from the Eastern European lowlands.…”

“…The "route of the Goths" was used by the Empire for trade and military between the lower Danube River and the northern shore of the Black Sea, and has been attributed with the spread of the Black Sea culture/fashions across the Roman Empire (Bursche, 2008). Cross-bow brooches and fibulae matching the Rhine Valley and Danubian (Carpathian Basin) typologies associated with barbarian groups have been found at Late Roman sites in Jordan (Eger, 2014) and Serbia (Petkovic, 2011). The cross-bow fibula are believed to be associated with those in service to the Roman Empire (foederati) and also acted as status symbols for elites outside the territory of the Roman Empire (Diaconescu, 1999: pg 203-217;Petkovic, 2011: pg 123).…”

“…Figure 3. Burial artefacts found in Romano-British "exotic" burials (left) and analogous cultural typologies from burial artefacts in the Carpathian Mountain regions of Eastern Europe (right) (Tejral, 2000;Booth et al, 2010;Petkovic, 2011;Eger, 2014;Eckardt et al, 2015;Helm, 2017).…”

Between Ravenna and Constantinople

“…This magnificent residential-memorial complex was finally identified in 1984 with the discovery of the inscription Felix Romuliana. For the purposes of our discussion, we should focus on its transformation into a fortified settlement with certain urban features (Popović, V. 1982, 555-556;Petković 2011;Milinković 2015, 249-257). The palace with its high and thick walls was gradually and pragmatically used as a well-protected settlement that hosted a prominent ecclesiastical centre, an array of workshops and fairly simple housing characteristic of both former cities and many newly-founded fortified hilltop settlements.…”

Floor Mosaics From the Territory of Roman Province Moesia

“…Being exposed to numerous attacks of the Avars and the Slavs in the 7 th century AD, the complex was abandoned. According to the archaeological data, Gamzigrad was revived as a fortified Slav settlement in the 11 th century AD [11]. Fig.…”