[gothic-l] Gothic influence in Thuringia

[faltin2001]

After the destruction of the Erulic kingdom by the Langobards in
around 510AD the Thuringian kingdom gained in importance in
Theoderic's system of alliances. Thus, he gave his niece Amalaberga
in marriage to the Thuringian king Herminafrid with the explicit
intention to increase Ostrogothic influence in the Thuringian
kingdom. The seat of Herminafrid's court was likely at Erfurt (the
modern capital of Thuringia), while his brothers Baderic and
Bertarhar ruled south and north of him respectively. Interestingly,
Ostrogothic influence on the Thuringians is also reflected in
archaeological evidence. Thus, at Erfurt/Gispersleben the grave of a
rich woman was found, wearing typical 'Ostrogothic' fibulae at the
shoulders (i.e. in Ostrogothic style). According to M. Maczynska (Die
Voelkerwanderung, p.199) this indicates that she likely was
Ostrogothic and possibly a member of Amalaberga's followers, who had
died in Thuringia. The high (royal) status of the Gispersleben graves
is also indicated by the inclusion of complete wagons in the graves.
(See B. Krueger, Die Germanen, Vol. 2, pp 544).

Other 'Ostrogothic' graves have been uncovered, for example, at
Stoessen (Thuringia). Here the grave of a young noble was unearthed
complete with a gilded Spangenhelm made in an Ostrogothic workshop.
Also, among the grave goods were silver Cicada-fibulae, also of East
Germanic origin. The helmet is engraved with a cross on front
indicating that the owner was a Christian, perhaps an Arian Goths.
Similar finds of East Germanic origin and/or influence were made also
at Grossoerner near Halle (horse graves) and Zeuzleben
(Unterfranken).

Interestingly, contact between Thuringians and Goths pre-dated the
arrival of Amalaberga. For example at Ossmannstedt the grave of a
young woman was found, who was adorned with a magnificent Ostrogothic
eagle-fibula at a long chain, a large almadin buckle and golden
ginger ring. Significantly, her grave goods included a mirror,
indicating that she came from among the East Germanic, nomadic steppe
people of south Eastern Europe. Also, her skull was artificially
deformed, which also shows that she did not grow up in Thuringia (no
children skull deformations are known in Thuringia), but probably
among East Germanic people within the Hunnic empire. She is usually
believed to be a Goths from Pannonia or Moesia, who died in the first
half of the 5th century. Her arrival there may be linked to the
immigration of carries of the Chernyakhovsk/Sintana de Mures culture
into Thuringia at the end of the 4th and the first decades of the 5th
century, where they formed the archaeological groups called
Niemberger and Grossbadegaster groups.

cheers,
Dirk



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