[gothic-l] Niemberger Gruppe

[faltin2001]

R. v. Rauchhaupt has offered some more insight in the so called
Niemberger gruppe, which is identified between rivers Elbe and Bode
and Flaeming and Harz mountains (modern Saxony-Anhalt). Like B.
Schmidt, v. Rauchhaupt identified the Niemberger gruppe as the north-
western-most expansion of the western Chernyakhov/Sintana de Mures
culture. This is particularly interesting since the main carriers of
the western Chernyakhov and Sinta de Mures culture are seen, among
others, the Goths and in particular the Visigoths/Tervingi, but also
other East Germanic and Sarmatic/Alanic groups.

The fact that the Niemberger (and related to it Grossbadegaster
Gruppe in the North-Harz) represents a real migration is indicated be
the complete replacement of earlier cultures as well as the
establishment of new burial rituals. Also, the substantial number of
the new comers is evident from the large number of new cemeteries
(45).

Rauchhaupt and Schmidt point out that the Niemberger gruppe shows
strong parallels to the cemeteries between Danube and Dnjestr, e.g.
Tirgsor, Spandov, Independenta, Marosszentana/Sintana de Mures and
Oinac. The parallels are evident in the stylistic characteristics and
the burial practices (including multiple graves, 'unusual' body
positions, and 'unusual' grave positions). The migratory paths of
these people can be followed via the cemetery of Gross-
Suerding/Zerniki Wielki in Silesia and Liebersee, Oschatz/Torgau in
Saxony. K. Kroitzsch had in 1971 identified 'Gothic graves' at
Torgau. From there the Niemberger gruppe is traced to the area of
Transilvania/Valachia.

The areas of the Niemberger and Grossbadegaster gruppen show in the
first half of the 5th century a close contact with the Huns. This is
evident from the unusual large concentration of artificial skull
deformations (some 22 have been identified) and steppe-nomadic
weaponry. Also, the fact that this contact was not always peaceful is
demonstrated by a number of warrior burials showing battle wounds,
including 'nomadic-hunnic' arrow-heads imbedded in the bone (cemetery
of Goerzig/Koethen).

The interpretation is that East Germanic people from the area of
Transilvania (possibly including Visigoths/Tervingi) were driven
north-westwards by the advancing Huns in the last quarter of the 4th
century at the very end of the Sinta-de-Mures culture. After
establishing themselves in the aforementioned areas between Harz and
Flaeming and becoming a constituent part of the Thuringian kingdom,
which appears at around 400AD, they maintained -voluntarily or
involuntarily- contact with the Hunnic empire leading to a tentative
subordination of the Thuringian kingdom to the Huns in the first half
of the 5th century.

cheers
Dirk





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