Treasure finds from Szilágysomlyó
The treasures of Szilágysomlyó were made in 1797 and 1889 in the then Hungarian , now Romanian town of Șimleu Silvaniei , on the same property. They are to be assessed as part of an ensemble.
The find of 1797
The first treasure found by shepherds in 1797 includes:
- 24 sheet gold rings ,
- 17 medallions, partly eyelet and set (three are missing),
- a gold chain with 52 amulet-shaped pendants,
- a disc-shaped pendant,
- a finger ring,
- a bracelet fragment,
- a decorative link with a representation of people.
The find of 1889
The second treasure found by day laborers in 1889 includes:
- 10 pairs of brooches covered with gold and stones ,
- three gold bowls,
- an onyx brooch,
- an oath or oath ring.
The 73 gold and silver objects preserved have a total weight of around eight kilograms.
meaning
The Szilágysomlyó finds prove the combination of Germanic and Roman things and reflect the relationships in the Carpathian Basin in the 4th and 5th centuries AD. They are high-level archaeological sources for research into the Migration Period . Signs of wear and tear show that the utensils were worn until the time they were deposited. In terms of quality and size, it is the hoard of an East Germanic, perhaps Piedi dynasty.
In the older objects, the Roman coins (from 290 to 378 AD) and the emperor or onyx fibula, Roman elements dominate. However, the medallions were set or imitated by Germanic goldsmiths . The pompous fibulae, for which Germanic elements are characteristic, come mainly from workshops that produced to meet the needs of the provincial Roman upper class. Among the finds are top products of late antique handicrafts. The onyx brooch and the largest preserved gold medallion from ancient times are unique.
literature
- Wilfried Seipel (ed.): Barbarian jewelry and Roman gold. The treasure of Szilágysomlyó. A special exhibition in the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna and the Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum Budapest. Skira, Milan 1999.
