Germanic biritual cemetery at Abrahám

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Site is situated in the south-western Slovakia at the edge of fertile Trnava upland, north-west of the village Abrahám. The cemetery covered the southern part of the natural mound stretching in E – W direction (ca. 160 m long and 50-75 m wide, highest point 127 m a.s.l.) and limited by stream Gidra from its eastern side. The area of the former cemetery was cultivated from Late Middle Ages onwards. At the crest of the natural mound, where the height of the original terrain lowered due to cultivation as well as natural conditions, the thickness of humus layer reached only 15-20 cm, at the lower parts of the mound 20-40 cm.

In 1966-1968 231 Germanic graves (219 cremations and 12 inhumations) from the Roman Period were unearthed here at the area of 11440 m2. Graves were spread unevenly at the area of the cemetery because of more intensive exploitation of particular segments of the burial ground for burials (supposedly by members of the same kin) and/or because of erosion and destruction of the shallow graves due to cultivation (particularly at the crest of the mound, i.e. in the central zone). Considerable percentage of the shallow graves (particularly in the highest parts of the site) was destroyed by deep ploughing. Part of the graves from the Roman Period was disturbed or destroyed by inhumation graves from the Migration Period and the Middle Ages. It can be assumed that recognized graves from the Roman Period represent hardly a half of their original number that could have reached 500. Among the cremations the urn graves absolutely prevailed (183 = 79,3%), only in 36 graves unburned bones, originally perhaps in the organic container, were deposited in a small pit (15,5%). The Early Roman Period inhumations (not reaching beyond the first century AD) were situated in the middle of the eastern part of the burial ground, i.e. in the zone where the graves from the Migration Period and the Middle Ages were concentrated later.

Chronology of the cemetery. The earliest horizon (Eggers B1, i.e. period Augustus-Tiberius), represented by cremations as well as by inhumations, is dated by the strongly profiled fibulae Almgren 67 and 68, some types of eye fibulae (Almgren 45), bronze fittings of the Norican-Pannonian belts and early Germanic pottery. Imports of the bronze vessels (e.g. ladle set with mace-shaped handle, variant of Eggers form 162 – grave 121) and ceramic glazed skyphos with plant decoration (grave 16) date the graves of the earliest horizon to the early phase of Eggers B2, i.e. period Claudius-Domitian.

Within the late phase of the Eggers B2 and B2/C1 (i.e. in the first half of the 2nd century, period Trajan-Hadrian and Antoninus Pius-Marcomannic Wars) inhumations are no longer to be found at the cemetery. In the inventory of later graves foreign Germanic elements started to appear gradually (pottery, weaponry and military equipment, fibulae of Almgren group V, above all fibulae with so-called cylindrical head). They evidence penetration of the Przeworsk Culture elements before and during the Germanic-Sarmatian, i.e. Marcomannic Wars. The graves with foreign elements were concentrated in the central zone of the western part of the cemetery. Lower number of the graves from the Late Roman Period (Eggers C1-C3) was found at the cemetery. They are concentrated in the eastern part of the site. It can not be excluded that during the reign of the Severans the cemetery was temporarily not in use.

Most intensive occurrence of imported Roman goods can be connected with the initial stage of the burials at the cemetery. Supposedly, the beginnings of the cemetery can be related to the migration of the Germans (Quadi) and to the existence of the Kingdom of Vannius in AD 20-50. Particularly remarkable is the occurrence of the imports of the Norican-Pannonian belt metal parts. In Abrahám they were found in the graves Nr. 2, 26, 100, 166 as belt clasps in open work design (type Garbsch B1b), boat-shaped mounts (type Garbsch Ka), profiled strap terminals (Typ Garbsch R2) and cap rivets.

Most representative collection of this kind was found in the urn grave No. 100. In ancient ceramic urn made in Latène traditions a pair of eye fibulae (type Almgren 45) and complete set of Norican-Pannonian belt fittings (of Garbsch types E3a, G2d, B1h, B1b, R1, Ka) occurred. Common occurrence of the Germanic and provincial Norican-Pannonian objects in one (probably woman) grave allows us to consider possible temporary stay of expelled Marobud´s and Katvalda´s suites at the territory of Noricum. Find of the glazed skyphos with plant decoration together with bronze scalpel in the grave No. 14 implies brisk contacts with north Italian environment.

Titus Kolník

 

References:

Kolník, T.: Römerzeitliche Gräberfelder in der Slowakei. Bratislava 1980, 13-90, Taf. I-LXIX.

Kolník, T.: Anfänge der germanischen Besiedlung in der Südwestslowakei und das Regnum Vannianum. In: Symposium Ausklang der Latène-Zivilisation und Anfänge der germanischen Besiedlung im mittleren Donaugebiet. Bratislava 1977, 143-171.