Contacts Across the Alps

If you were living in Central Europe in the 7th century AD and wanted to purchase a high-quality belt set, you most certainly would be looking for a Bieringen type belt. In contrast to most of the multipart belt sets made of iron of that time, the Bieringen fittings are cast using bronze. What is surprising is that they can be found from the Carpathian Basin to Western Switzerland and from Central Germany to Southern Italy. How can we explain the enormous popularity of these belt fittings within a relatively short period of about 80 years throughout such a huge area? Why was this type of belt so widespread? Although it is questionable that high quality was the sole reason for its wide distribution, it is certainly the starting point of our considerations concerning the belt. What characterizes its quality? How was it produced, and which requirements had to be met for its production? The entire chane opératoire of its manufacture, from raw material to the final product, will be demonstrated on the basis of chemical and lead isotope analysis. Establishing the chronology of the belt is particularly problematic due to the rare independent dating opportunities offered by grave furnishings. A new chronological framework based on radiocarbon analysis and recently found well dated graves will be elaborated during this project. The chane opératoire and the chronological framework are the two cornerstones of the historico- cultural interpretation of the belt set. In order to be able to find out more about the significance of the belt, different social and cultural layers will be investigated. The grave furnishings containing belts of the Bieringen type combined with the anthropological data of the deceased will be evaluated both in the local and in a more spacious context. Another fascinating question is: Could the belt of the Bieringen type with its characteristic tail-like extension be associated with the so-called wolf warriors of the 7th century AD? As a final aspect, the routes of distribution will be discussed. The clear focus of the distribution of the belt fittings in South Tyrol and Trentino shows that the majority of the belts came to the north across the two most important Alpine passes (especially the Brenner) and from there further into the Carpathian Basin.

Belt fittings of the Bieringen type were widely distributed in Central Europe in the 7th century AD. Fittings of this type can be found from eastern France to eastern Hungary and from central Germany to southern Italy. Within the framework of the FWF project, we have investigated the Bieringen type at different levels and under different questions. At the micro level, the question of the manufacturing process of these belt fittings arose. Geochemical analyses show that 90% of the fittings were made of leaded bronze or bronze. This material is particularly suitable for casting. In addition, bronze has the property of being corrosion resistant, unlike iron. Interestingly, the investigations also showed that recycled "scrap metal" was only used to a very small extent. The question of the provenance of the copper and lead used in the manufacture of the fittings was answered by means of lead isotope analysis. The results indicate that the source of the raw material is in what is today Transylvania and northern Bulgaria. On the one hand, we succeeded for the first time in finding indirect evidence of mining activities in early medieval Central Europe, and on the other hand, it is shown that the mining regions are far from the area of distribution. On a macro level, we were able to clarify by means of radiocarbon dating of deceased individuals who were equipped with these belt sets, that this belt both north and south of the Alps can be traced back to the first half of the 7th century. Until now it was assumed that the earliest belts were produced in the 2nd quarter of the 7th century in northern Italy and that they did not arrive in the north through personal contacts until the 2nd half of this century. Finally, the question of the reasons for the wide distribution of this type of belt was raised on a supra-regional level. An explanation could be found in the complex succession disputes in Austrasia and in the Longobard Empire, in which the Avars were also involved. With regard to the newly discovered sources of raw materials in Transylvania, which were newly discovered in the FWF project, the Avars have been given a new economic and political weighting in this conflict, since the metal provenance lies in their territory.