Integration and cultural autonomy – about barbarian migrants in the Western Empire in the 5 th century concerning their burial customs

Starting point is the highest density of swordgraves in the first half of the 5th century in the province of Lugdunensis I and not in northern Gaul (fig. 1). The distribution of southeast european silver sheet brooches in the western Empire from the mid of the 4th till the mid of the 5th century (fig. 2-4) could explain this phenomen. In the Phase C3b they appear in high numbers in the provinces of northern Italy and Gaul, in the phase D1 in small numbers from Pannonia via northern Italy and Gaul to Hispania and in the Phase D2 again in high numbers in the same areas. Next to Pannonia we have a second center of density in the middle of Gaul, contemporary with the previously mentioned sword graves. This indicates a controlled migration of southeast european barbarians, organised by the center of power of the western Empire in northern Italy to strengthen their military power against particular interests. At the end of the western Empire it’s clear that the Roman practice of recruiting barbarians from distant areas was continued by the tribal rulers. In the Visigothic kingdom in southwestern Gaul in the second half of the 5th century e.g. in Saint-Laurent-des-Hommes (fig. 5) can be seen the recruitment from not only northern Gaul, but also from Thuringia or England. The same is visible at the end of the 5th and the begin of the 6th century in the Ostrogothic Kingdom east of the Adriatic Sea by graves with Thuringian-related brooches

Ancient history · Archaeology · Autonomy · Barbarian · Empire · Political science · Archaeology and Historical Studies · History · Law