[gothic-l] Book Review II - The Goths

[Bertil Häggman]

_The Role of Migration in the History of the
Eurasian Steppe - Sedentary Civilization vs. -
'Barbarian' and Nomad, (ed. Andrew Bell-Fialkoff),
London: Macmillan, 2000, 355 pp.
__________________________________________________

One of the great controversies in Gothic history
is the question of the origin of the Goths. Unless
some sensational material appears this question
will never be solved.

The new book edited by Bell-Fialkoff accepts that
Jordanes Scandza is Scandinavia. He accepts that
archaeological evidence is inconclusive:

"It does confirm the existence of the Gotho-Gepidan
culture in Pomerania and lower Vistula at this time
(the so-called Wielbark culture) and links it to seven
specific elements. But only one of these can be
archaelogically traced to Scandinavia. Even more
significant is the fact that the Wielbark culture had
already acquired its distinctiveness by the time of the
putative Gothic migration from Scandinavia. These
considerations make some scholars doubt the veracity
of the Gothic tradition.

And yet, there are several factors that support the
traditional version. First, East Germanic languages
(of which Gothic was one) were closer to North Germanic
(i.e. Scandinavian) tongues than to West Germanic ones.
Such affinity implies a close relationship, if not direct
derivation. The toponymics of the island of Gotland,
as well as the modern Swedish provinces of Oester-
and Vaestergoetland, where the Goths had supposedly
originated, also show linguistic affinity. Second. Count
Oxenstierna excavated incineration burials in Oester-
and Vaestergoetland that, numerous in the second and
first centuries B.C. suddenly became rare after about
50 B.C. This would suggest a disappearance of a
significant portion of the previous population."

Carlo Alberto Mastrelli in Volker Bierbauer et al,
_I Goti_, Milan: Electa Lombardia, Elemond Editori
Associati, 1994.

Graf E.C. Oxenstierna, _Die Urheimat der Goten_.
Leipzig, Mannus-Buecherei 73, 1945 (later printed
in 1948).

Next review section: Why did the Goths migrate?

Gothically

Bertil




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