A rare animal-headed cross-bow brooch from Plinkaigalis in Lithuania Kazakevicius, Vytautas Fornvännen 78, 189-196 http://kulturarvsdata.se/raa/fornvannen/html/1983_189 Ingår i: samla.raa.se

A rare animal-headed cross-bow brooch from Plinkaigalis in Lithuania.
By Vytautas Kazakevicius

Kazakevicius, V. 1984. A rare animal-headed cross-bow brooch from Plinkaigalis in Lithuania. Fornvännen 78. Stockholm. Among the finds from grave 106 at the Plinkaigalis burial ground, in the Kédainiai district there is a gold-plated, animal-headed, cross-bow brooch of silver. The grave is dated to the beginning of the 6th century A.D. The brooch is alien to the Lithuanian material and the author considers that it was manufaclured on the western coast of the Baltic. A Scandinavian influence is likely to underlie the series of Prussian cross-bow brooches starting in the Sth century. The cronological break might be the result of faulty dating.
Vytautas Kazakevicius, Virsuliskiu, 45-56, 23056 Vilnius, Lithuanian SSR, USSR.

O n e of the most characteristic Baltic adornments of the Migration period are cross-bow brooches. T h e r e is rather a large variety of them: brooches with a bent bar, brooches with a long, a starshaped, a circular decoration, stepped brooches, etc. (LAA IV 1978, p. 35, 39-46, zem. 26-28, 32). Cross-bow animal-headed brooches are somewhat rare. T h e y include brooches which differ from the a b u n d a n t artides produced by local craftsmen in their style of production and decoration and witness to the cultural and trading relations with different European tribes and nations of the time. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 A.D., the trade routes between the East Baltic area and the Empire with its provinces, which had existed for centuries, were subject to a gradual dedine, new relations were established and dealings with the Germanic world, especially Gotland and Seandinavia became still doser. Some evidence of such relations — imported goods — was found at the recently excavated burial ground at Plinkaigalis. O n e of them is a cross-bow brooch with an animal head, found in grave No. 106 (Fig. 1).

T h e burial ground of Plinkaigalis is in the Kédainiai district, Krakes parish, about 25 km west of Kédainiai. It is situated on an oblong hill on the left bank of the Susvé river (the right-hand tributary of the Nevézis). The tentative exploration of the cemetry started in 1977. It was undertaken by the archaeological expedition of the Académie Methodological Committee of the Cultural Ministry of the Lithuanian SSR for the preservation of cultural monuments. Since 1978 it has been excavated by the Institute of History of the Lithua n i a n Academy of Sciences. An area of 2235 m 2 was excavated between 1977 and 1981; 247 inhumation graves dating from the Sth 6th centuries, 7 cremation graves from the 7th century and 2 inhumation graves from the late Neolithie were uncovered, also four skeletons of horses, the chronology of which is not quite clear, but they are dated not earlier than the 2nd half of the 6th century. The goods (bund in the graves are kept in the M u s e u m of History and Ethnography of the Lithuanian SSR at Vilnius ( I E M , AR). Grave No. 106 was uncovered in the central part of the burial ground. In the rectangular pit, 220X80 cm by 35 cm deep from the
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Fig. 1. The animal-headed cross-bow brooch from grave 106 of the cemetery at Plinkaigalis district of Kédainiai. Photo K. Vainoras.

present surface, a skeleton of a man aged 45—50 was found. T h e dead man was buried lying on his back, his head pointed NW. at an angle of 300°, his hands clasped on his breast, his legs outstretched (Fig. 2). T h e grave goods consisted of: a gold-plated brooch of silver with an animal head, lying under the right pelvis (Fig. 3); at the left side of the waist remnants of a leather belt laid lengthwise. This had an iron buckle, a bronze bound termination, coated with tin and bronze plates. Lying across the left pelvis was a knife in a leather sheath with an ornamented horn handle. Near its blade was a bead of a m b e r — an amulet. Beside the left thighbone, its hilt by the waist, was a fighting knife 36,6 cm long. T h e fighting knife may have been fastened to the belt when deposited in the grave. O n the left shin-bone a socketed
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axe was found. O n the basis of the inventory (Fig. 4) the grave is dated to 500 A.D. T h e cross-bow, gold-plated silver brooch is moulded. It is 7.12cm long. T h e spiral ends in two hemispherical knobs. T h e spiral is 6.4 cm long. T h e bow and leg are triangulär in crosssection, 0.9 X 0.75 cm. Their sides have an embossed ornament in relief of two spirals of a horizontal letter " S " and one of a reversed letter " S " . T h e spirals are separated by groups of transverse notches (Fig. 1). The leg of the brooch terminates in a stylized, expressive animal head with "hair", eyes and a snout. T h e knobs of the spiral, the bow, leg a n d head are gold-plated. T h e ornamentation of the brooch and the head of the bar have no direct analogies in either Lithuania or other countries in the East Baltic area. It dilfers from the other five

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Fig. 2-3. Grave 106 and a detail thereof with the brooch in situ. Photo V. Kazakevicius.

animal-headed cross-bow brooches found in Lithuania (Fig. 5), i.e. the brooch from the same burial ground, grave No 107 (Fig. 6:1) ( I E M , A R ) , the stray find from Pagrybis, in the Silalé district (Fig. 6:2) ( K V I M , 709:26) ( L L M I 1958, pav. 321), the brooch from Rubokai, the Silute district, grave No.41 (Fig. 6:3) (Bezzenberger 1909, Abb. 145; Åberg 1919, A b b . 64; Gaerte 1929, Abb. 217:e; Kulikauskas, Kulikauskiené, Tautavicius 1961, pa. 239) and the brooches from the Jauneikiai burial ground, in the Joniskis district, graves No. 390 (Fig. 6:4) ( I E M , AR 537:808) and No. 466 (Fig. 6:5) ( I E M , AR 537:1026) Vaskeviciuté 1978, pav. 1,2). All of them are made of bronze, ornamented with even and cordlike strokes or with a flat surface, sometimes called Raupenfibeln (Oxenstierna 1940, P. 234, 236). These brooches are låter than that from grave No 106 and dated to the sixth century.

T h e brooch from Plinkaigalis, for instance, was found together with a narrow-edged axe, work and battle knifes, an iron belt buckle and a bronze binding of unknown function. T h e inventory of grave No 41 from Rubokai consisted of: a socketed axe, a scythe, iron spurs, an iron clasp, two bronze spirals and iron tweezers (?) (Bezzenberger 1909, P. 169-170). Grave No. 390 at the Jauneikiai burial ground contained a bronze necklace with a twisted ring and a hook and loop ends, two spearheads — one with a profiled head, the other with a short rhomboid-shaped head with a long sheath, a battle knife and a socketed axe. Grave No. 466 at Jauneikiai yielded a battle knife and two spearheads — one with a l a u r d - s h a p e d head, the other with a head of a prolonged rhomboid and a long sheath. A wery few brooches of this type dating from the sixth centurv have been found in
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Fig. 4. The inventory of grave 106.
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Fig. 5. 6th century animal-headed cross-bow brooches of bronze, all found in Lithuania. 1. Plinkaigalis, grave 107; 2. stray lind from Pagrybis; 3. Rubokai, grave 41; 4. Jauneikiai, grave 390; 5. Jauneikiai, grave 466. Formännen 78(1983)

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V. Kazakevicius the grave together with the brooch were found five silver buckles and two strap ends, a silver spur and a knife (Heydeck 1895, p. 6 5 - 6 6 , Taf. V:7,9, V L 9 - 1 1 ) . This brooch must be contemporary with the brooch from Plinkaigalis, grave No. 106 as they are of analogical form. T h e brooch from Schlakalken burial ground was found together with a clasp and a quadrangular binding (Åberg 1919, p. 96). An unornamented cross-bow animal-headed brooch is known from the Sensburg burial ground (Åberg 1919, Abb. 127). It is the only one brooch in East Prussia with a less stylized head resembling the brooch from Plinkaigalis, grave No. 106. T h r e e bronze brooches from Öland which all have an animal head termination were brought to the auther's attention by the Antiquary Ulf Näsman, for which the author is very grateful. These are the brooches from Hönstorp, Algutsrum parish ( K L M , 1458) and Skogsby, Torslunda parish ( K L M , 4 950) kept at K a l m a r museum and at the Stockholm Museum of National antiquities — the brooch from Smedby in Smedby parish ( S H M 1304:1845:22). Their heads are very m u c h like those from Plinkaigalis, but the o r n a m e n t differs. All are stray finds, and therefore dated by their similarity to other brooches to c. 375/400 - 525/575 A.D. A brooch from Gråborg, Öland is ornamented with analogical spiral motifs (Äberg 1953, fig. 107) and the brooch from Altenerding, West G e r m a n y from a woman's grave, No. 421 (Werner 1970, Taf. 9:1), dating from the 1st half of the 6th century, has a similar motif. T h e latter is very much like the brooches from the D a u m e n , grave No. 38 and Geistauti burial grounds grave No. 2, and the head of the brooch from Osbirze. J . Werner supposes it to have originated in East Prussia or the coast of Lithuania (Werner 1970, p. 78). While partly approving this opinion I must observe that it culd not come from Lithuania, as such brooches have not been found here. In the search for parallels to the head of the brooch from Plinkaigalis, grave No. 106, notice should be taken of the clasps, often found in Gotland, bindings with different functions and strap ends with very similar or even ana-

Latvia as well. Stray bronze brooches from Krustpils, Jékabpils district should be mentioned. O n e of them closely resembles the brooch from grave No. 390 at Jauneikiai (LA 1974, 158 Ipp., tab. 42:2). A silver, goldplated, cross-bow brooch with an animal head was found in grave No. 2 in the burial ground at Geistauti, Liepäja district. This grave contained a silver necklace with elongated ends and a multangular ring, a bronze silver-plated cross-bow brooch with a länshaped prong, a fragment of an iron crossbow brooch, a bronze bracelet, thickening at the ends, a sword with one-edged blade, remnants of a belt with an iron clasp, a tiny cup a n d a piece of horn (LA 1974, tab. 40:16-27). T h e brooch found in this grave has analogies in East Prussia and is considered to have come from there. A fragment of a similar, most likely imported bronze brooch was found accidentally in the burial ground at Osbirze, in the Talsu district. It cannot be earlier than the sixth century, and has not been published anywhere (LVM, 7579:74). More cross-bow brooches were found in the lands of the West Balts, stretching to the south west of Lithuania. N. Åberg, while discussing the material culture of the East Prussian population in the Migration period, also described cross-bow animal-headed brooches (Äberg 1919, p. 93-97, Abb. 127-131). Brooches of the Prussian tribes are often m a d e of silver, sometimes gold-plated, more rarely of bronze, with little animal heads, more stylized than those in Lithuania or Latvia. Their geometric pattern is more intricate, a n d spirals are found as well. Cross- bow animal-headed brooches were found in the burial ground of Daumen, graves No. 38, 150 (Heydeck 1895, Taf. IX:2, V L 9 ; Oxenstierna 1940, Abb. 18, 19), Gr. Waldeck (Äberg 1919, Abb. 129), accidentally in the district of R a m b y n a s (Oxenstierna 1940, Abb. 41) and in the Schlakalken burial ground, grave No. 25 (Åberg 1919, Abb. 130). They are ornamented with spiral motifs, except the brooch from the D a u m e n burial ground, grave No. 150. T h e latter bears groups of transverse notches, and an expressive, absolutdy stylized head (Oxenstierna 1940, Abb. 39). In
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Fig. 6. The lind sites of animal-headed cross-bow brooches in Lithuania. 1. Plinkaigalis, Kédainiai district; 2. Pagrybis, Silale district; 3. Rubokai, Silutédistrict; 4. Jauneikiai, Joniskis district.

logical animal heads (Nerman 1935, Textfig. sian brooch ornament of the "masurgermani189, Taf. 46:464, 465, 467; 49:504-506, sche K u l t u r " is taken över from the Salin I 508-511; 50:513). They are dated to 475-550 style (Sturms 1950, p. 20 IT). A . D . (Nerman 1935, p. 58, 78, 80, 81). It is difficult to state a more exact place of T h u s , efter scrutiny and comparison of the production of the brooch from Plinkaigalis, cross-bow, animal-headed broochs from the grave No. 106, without a good knowledge of East Baltic area two areas of their prevalence the Scandinavian material of the Migration stånd out, i.e.: I the northern part of the period. However, it differs both in ornament Baltic territory — Lithuania and Latvia, and a n d in head from other cross-bow, animalII the southern part — East Prussia. In Lit- headed brooches found in the East Baltic h u a n i a and Latvia brooches were decorated area. T h e head closely resembles those of the with an ornament wide-spread in the local brooches found in Öland and the belt clasp, artefacts (Puzinas 1938, lent. X L I I I ) . Their bindings and strap ends from Gotland. T h e heads are less stylized, more expressive. In spiral decoration of the brooch from PlinEast Prussia the geometrical pattern of the kaigalis is basic, while in other East Prussian brooches is more intricate and the heads more brooches it is only one element of the motif. stylized. O n e must agree with E. Sturms' opi- Therefore it is assigned perhaps to the Salin I nion, submitted in 1950, that the East Prus- style Sjörup phase ornament (Erä — Esko
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1965, fig. 4; Stenberger 1977, Abb. 218). It follows that the brooch found in the burial g r o u n d at Plinkaigalis, grave No. 106, was manufaclured on the western coast of the Baltic sea a n d came to Lithuania by tradecultural relations. T h e existence of such relations is witnessed by the Gotland archaeological d a t a , which include Baltic artefacts, most likely brought from East Prussia: cross-bow stepped brooches (Nerman 1935, Taf. 37: 3 7 6 - 3 7 8 ) , a belt buckle and a strap end (Nerm a n 1935,Texfig. 186, Taf. 47:485). It is likely that the manufacture of other cross-bow animal-headed brooches dating from the 6th century was started under the Scandinavian influence, which manifested itself more powerfully in the Prussian tribes a n d through them spread gradually into Lith u a n i a a n d Latvia. No brooches of this type d a t i n g from the 7th century have been found. T h i s explains the short chronological break between brooches of this type from the 6th a n d 8th centuries, and the consecutive development is not documented. T h e causes are obscure, possibly a faulty dating? Starting with the Sth century, the cross-bow animalheaded brooches acquire an original form, spread w i d d y along the Baltic coast — the lands of the Curonians — and become an inseparable part of the Baltic material culture.

Bezzenberger, A., 1909. Das Gräberfeld bet Rubocken, Sitzungsberiehte der Altertumsgesellschalt Prussia H. 22. Königsberg. Erä-Esko, A., 1965. Germanic Animal Art of Salin 's Style I in Finland, Suomen muinaismuistoyhdistyksen aikakauskirja. Finska fornminnesföreningens tidskrift 63. Helsinki. Gaerte, W., 1929. Urgeschichte Ostpreussens. Königsberg. Heydeck, J., 1895. Das Gräberfeld von Daumen und ein Räckblick an den Anfang einer deutsch — nationalen Kunst, Sitzungsberiehte der Altertumsgesellschaft Prussia H. 19 Königsberg. Kulikauskas. P., Kulikauskiene, R., Tautavicius, A., 1961. Lietuvos archeologijos bruozai. Vilnius. LA, 1974. Latvijas PSR archeologija. Riga. LAA IV, 1978. Lietuvos TSR archeologijos atlasas. Vilnius. LLM I, 1958. Lietuviy liaudies menas. Senoves lietuviu papuosalai. Vilnius. Nerman, B., 1935. Die Völkerwanderungzeit Gotlands. Stockholm. Oxenstierna, E. C. G., 1940. Die Prachlfibel aus Grobin, Mannus 32 H. 1/2. Leipzig. Puzinas, J., 1938. Naujausii/ proisloriniii tyrinéjimu duomenys. Kaunas. Stenberger, M., 1977. Vorgeschichte Schwedens, Berlin. Sturms, E., Zur ethnischen Deutung der "masurgermanischen" Kultur, Archaeologia Geographica I. Vaskeviciuté, I., 1978. Gyvuliniaimolyvai Vl-VHa. ziemgaliii papuosalyomamenluose, Jaunyju, istoriky darbai 2. Vilnius. Werner, J., 1970. Zur Verbreitung fruhgeschichtlicher Melallarbeilen (Werkstatt — Wanderhandwerk — Handel — Familienverhindung), Early Medieval Studies I. Stockholm. Abbreviations IEM, AR — the Museum of History and Ethnography of the Lithuanian SSR, the Archaeological Departement. KLM — the Kalmar Museum. KVIM -— the Kaunas State Historical Museum. LVM — the State Historical Museum of the Latvian SSR. SHM — the Museum of National Antiquities, Stockholm.

References Äberg, N., 1919. Oslpreussen in der Völkerwanderungszeit. Uppsala - Leipzig. — 1953. Den historiska relationen mellan folkvandringstid och vendeltid. KVHAA handlingar 82. Stockholm.

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