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Kostolná
is the most important Germanic cemetery from the first and second century AD
in the Middle Danubian region so far. The site is situated at the northern edge
of the Danubian Lowland, north of the Little Danube, ca. 1 km south of contemporary
village Kostolná in the location „Lencérdomb“. At the triple sand dune, at the
area larger than 5000 m2 68 cremation graves were unearthed, many of them disturbed
by deep ploughing. At the eastern mound of the dune 24 graves were discovered,
at the central mound 29 and at the lowest – western – dune 13 graves were laid.
Supposedly, discovered graves represent only minority of their original number. Soil cultivation from the Middle Ages onwards and especially deep ploughing in the 20th century caused disturbance of many of, particularly, shallow graves. On the basis of the largest possible extent of the cemetery it is possible to estimate that the original number of the graves reached 200-300. Collected finds of undamaged bronze vessels from the burial ground allow assuming the presence of inhumation graves from the first century AD.
Urn
graves prevailed (54 graves = 81,8%). Only 6 pit graves were found (18,2%) where
bones and grave goods lay on a heap. In several urn graves part of an inventory
was laid beside (grave No. 10) or beneath an urn (graves No. 2 and 25). Majority
of the grave goods was heavily damaged during cremation and followingly even
intentionally deformed or broken; in several cases small finds, e.g. fibulae,
were manipulated in such manner.
Besides
brooches group of the finds important for dating of the cemetery is represented
by imported Roman bronze vessels and by pottery. Fragments of the bronze vessels
were found in 36 (54%) graves; in several cases even more vessels per grave
occurred (e.g. in the grave No. 5 – four vessels, in the grave No. 10 – six
vessels, in the grave No. 25 – six vessels, in the grave No. 35 – four vessels).
The most frequent are fragments of the wine sets – ladles and strainers (17
graves = 25,5%), complete set was present in 5 cases. The type with so-called
oar-shaped handle (Eggers type 159 and 160) occurred seven times; the type with
mace-shaped handle (type Eggers 160 and 162) four times; indefinable types appeared
six times. Cauldron of Eggers type 8) was used as an urn in the grave No. 35.
Also bucket of Eggers type 39 served as an urn in the grave 27. Buckets or their
fragments came to light in 18 graves; majority of them belonged to Eggers type
39 or 40. Eggers 42 was present in two graves.
Dippers were laid into the grave in 15 cases (22,5%). Therefrom, type Eggers 137 occurred three times, Eggers 138 one time, Eggers 140 seven times, indefinable shape six times. In the grave No. 24 fragments of two dippers of Eggers type 140 were found, in the grave No. 25 fragments of three vessels of this type – two of shape Eggers 140, one of Eggers 138. Fragments of a dipper type Eggers 92 or 94 were documented in two graves (No. 35 and 63). In the grave No. 10 sacrificial bronze bowl – patera of Eggers type 155 – with a handle terminating in head of lion was found.
With regard to the large lumps of molten glass occurrence of glass vessels can be assumed in four graves; most likely of ridged glass bowls of Eggers type 182 or 183.
Imported
bronze vessels and glass vessel fragments mentioned above allow dating of cemetery
within Eggers stage B1, partly B2, i.e. within the first century AD and first
half of the second century AD. In the group of imported pottery occurring in
the graves No. 9, 10, 31, 36 and 46 two originally green glazed skyphoi decorated
with plant ornament – oak twig- and grapevine-motif – found in the grave No.
10 encompassing the richest inventory at the cemetery are of exceptional character.
They represent upper Italian products, probably from the second third of the
first century AD. In accordance with this dating is also presence of the fibulae
from the first century and first half of the second century AD; particularly
eye fibulae (Augenfibel – Almgren 45, 48, 55, 57), strongly profiled fibulae
(kräftig profilierte Fibeln – Almgren 68), trumpet fibulae (Trompetenfibeln
– Almgren 74-78), fibulae of Almgren’s group V (series 8 and 9) and provincial
“Scharnier” fibulae (Scharnierfibeln – type Hofheim and disc fibulae).
On the basis of the imports and fibulae as well as pottery majority of graves can be dated within the first century AD, most of them within its middle third. Only relatively small number of excavated graves falls within the first half of the second century AD. The earliest graves were found at the mound No. 3; the latest at the central mound No. 2. Such picture about the distribution of the graves can partially be related to the fact that the considerable number of the earliest graves at the central – highest – mound could have undergone the most extensive destruction.
Frequency
and quality of weapons and military gear in the graves at Kostolná pri Dunaji
can also be considered as extraordinary in comparison with situation at known
Early Roman Period cemeteries not only in Elbe-Germanic but in whole Germanic
barbaricum. Weapons occurred in 31 graves what represents 46,9% of all graves;
in another two disturbed graves the remains of shield mounts and probably fragment
of a sword were found. Considering the fact that many of the graves were disturbed
or destroyed by soil cultivation it has to be assumed that some weapons, originally
laid in the upper part of an urn, did not remain preserved. Consequently, our
picture about the quantity and perhaps even quality of occurrence of weapons
and military equipment in individual graves can be distorted. This fact is indirectly
implied by find of a precious mount of the scabbard of a Roman gladius that
bears a depiction of two warriors – Roman legionary and barbarian captive –
made open work design (opus interrasile). At Kostolná pri Dunaji primary occurrence
of weapons and military equipment can be assumed in half of all graves.
If there was equal mortality of both sexes in the population using cemetery at Kostolná it can be assumed that weapons and/or military gear were laid on the funeral pyre with each male including immature boys. This presumption is supported by weapon finds in three obviously children graves (No. 1, 33, 56).
Weapons and gear from Kostolná pri Dunaji considerably surpass all other known
Germanic cemeteries form the Roman Period by quantity and even by its quality
and composition. Complete equipment of a warrior (sword, lance, shield), considered
to be an attribute of higher social or even chieftain layer in a society, occurred
in 14 graves that represent 21,2% of all assumed men graves. Sword came to light
fifteen times (22,8% of all graves that is 45,6% of men graves); shield fragments
were found in 31,8% of the graves (63,6% of men graves) and lance-heads in 30,3%
of the graves (60,6% of men graves). On the other hand, at the men cemeteries
in the Elbe-Germanic territory weapons generally come from 3,3-13,8% of all
graves, swords occur in 2,8 %-7,4 %, shields in 1,3-8,3% and lance-heads in
1,3-9,6 % of the graves. Only at few mixed, according to the number of graves
small cemeteries, graves containing weapons and military equipment are more
abundant. Spurs – attribute of warriors-riders – were found seven times (10,6%
of all graves, 21,2% of buried men), therefrom six times in the graves with
complete weaponry. These data become even more apparent after comparison with
data from large Germanic cemeteries, e.g. at Grossromstedt where sword occurred
only in 32 of 582 graves; or at Putensen where in 986 graves only 9 swords were
found. Sword was not only a precious weapon; it could have also been a symbol
of power. It could have been carried only by members of the highest class of
warriors. It is very likely no accident that in the richest grave No. 10 at
Kostolná (5 bronze vessels, 2 pottery imports) sword and spurs are not present.
Likewise other graves containing only few and poor weaponry and gear it is relatively
rich in other goods. Thus, individuals buried with a rich inventory did not
necessarily belong to the high social class even it is the matter of fact that
the graves with complete set of weapons and/or gear at Kostolná pri Dunaji were
also rich in other categories of goods, especially bronze vessels.
As the frequency of grave goods, regarding their quantity as well as quality (imports, weapons), within the Germanic micro-region of south-western Slovakia at the northern margin of the Danubian Lowland considerably surpasses two neighbouring and chronologically synchronous cemeteries at Abrahám and Sládkovičovo the conclusion about the exceptional position of the cemetery at Kostolná pri Dunaji can be drawn. On the basis of the initial relation and connection of the earliest complexes from this cemetery with the finds from the beginning of the first century AD from Czech Elbe region arrival of immigrants from the Czech lands to Slovakia can be assumed.
Confronting these facts with historical sources, particularly with the report of Tacitus (Annales II, 63, 6) about the fall of Marobud and Katvalda, about transmigration of their retinues and about an existence of the “Kingdom” of Vannius (“regnum Vannianum”) at the left bank of the Danube between the rivers Marus (Morava) and Cusus (Váh?) in the second quarter of the first century AD, it can be concluded that described micro-region, and cemetery at Kostolná pri Dunaji within it, were of key importance for whole “Kingdom” of Vannius in the second third of the first century AD.
Remains from 58 graves were available for anthropological analyse; therefrom 45 belonged to mature, 10 to immature individuals and in 4 cases neither this basic determination was possible. 16 mature individuals could have been distinguished by sex, according to the grave inventory this number was raised to 31; therefrom 24 men and 7 women. Average expectancy of life in this population was, according to the data from mortality tables, 33,7 years. Assuming that cemetery was used for 100 years the population must have had 20 members. Considering the fact that estimated original number of the graves was approximately four times higher than the number of discovered graves the population of the belonging settlement would be around 80 members in total.
Titus Kolník
References
Kolník, T.: Römerzeitliche Gräberfelder in der Slowakei. Bratislava 1980, 91-162, Taf. LXX-CXXI.
Kolník, T.: Anfänge der germanischen Besiedlung in der Südwestslowakei und das Regnum Vannianum. In: Symposium Ausklang der Laténe-Zivilisation und Anfänge der germanischen Besiedlung im mittleren Donaugebiet. Bratislava 1977, 143-171.
Kolník, T./Stloukal, M.: Žárové pohřebište ze starší doby římské v Kostolné pri Dunaji (okres Galanta). Časopis Národního muzea – oddíl přirodovědný, 146, 1977, 97-112.
Kolník, T.: Sigillata in germanischen Gräbern der ČSSR. In: Studien zur römischen Keramik. Vorträge des 13. internationalen Kongresses der RCRF in München. Kallmünz 1984, 69-79.
Kolník, T.: Römische und germanische Kunst in der Slowakei. Bratislava 1984.