[gothic-l] Gothic Archaeology was Re: Whence the Eruli

[faltin2001]

--- In gothic-l at y..., Tore Gannholm <tore.gannholm at s...> wrote:
> >
> >
> >Tore,
> >
> >Bierbrauer writes in 'Archaeologie und Geschichte der Goten vom 1-7
> >Jahrhundert', p. 80
> >
> >"Die immer wieder von der aelteren archaeologischen Forschung -eben
> >wegen der spaeten Jordanes-Ueberlieferung - (fast krampfhaft)
> >gesuchten Verbindung zu Skandinavien lassen sich fuer unseren
> >Untersuchungsraum nich nachweisen, abgesehen von den erwaehnten
> >Ausnahmen, von denen die frueheste am Ende des 1. Jahrhunderts n.
> >Chr. neu aufkommende Grabsitte (Grabhuegel und Steinkreise) ohnehin
> >erst in eine Zeit faellt, als kontinentale Wohnsitze von Goten
durch
> >die Schriftquellen laengst schon bezeugt sind."
> >
> >My translation:
> >
> >The older archaeological research has often (almost feverishly)
> >sought to prove a link between the Goths and Scandinavia -
especially
> >because of the later Jordanes text. However, such a link can not be
> >demonstrated for this area, appart for some exceptions, which were
> >mentioned earlier, and of which the earliest set in only at the end
> >of the first century AD (new burial custom, grave mound with stone
> >circle) which dates to a time when the Goths on the continent have
> >long been attested in the written sources.
> >
> >Dirk
> >
>
> Dirk,
> Have you read Kaliffs book?


Tore,

yes I did and I think it is very interesting. But note that his book
is really a literature summary in which he draws together a lot of
different aspects from different fields. It is not really based on
primary research in contrast to Bierbrauer's work. In addition,
Kaliff makes some inexcusable mistakes like mixing the Wysotska
culture into the completely wrong timeframe and geographical area,
thus demonstrating that he is probably not a professional
archaeologist.

Kaliff's aim is to find links between Scandinvia and the continent
and since these links simply must have existed at almost all times,
there is no doubt that he finds links. As Kaliff points out, also
Bierbrauer acknowledges that there was a Scandinavian influence on
the Wielbark culture at the end of the first century AD. If one were
to conduct a similar study to that of Kaliff's and look whether there
was a link between the Wielbark culture and cultures further west,
one would also find various indications of common traits (note the
Muehlen Eichsen cemetary in Mecklenburg produced stone circle graves
that are much older than in the Wielbark region, but very similar).
Yet also Kaliff acknowledges that the Wielbark culture is autochonous
to the the Vistula region, which excludes the possibility of a
migration of the Goths from anywhere else.

Overall, Kaliff's book is really not that different from what
Bierbrauer writes and I really recommend you reading the main studies
by Bierbrauer to get a first-hand and much more indepth view on these
matters than is provided by Kaliff. I think there is much in
Bierbrauer's research that you would like.


Dirk





>
> He shows that it is a common culture in the southern Baltic
including
> Gotland and some coast areas in present day Sweden. And there were
> movements both directions.
>
> Tore


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