Tortoiseshell buckle

The bronze fibula, decorated with silver wire appliques, was a part of furnishings from one of the inhumation graves in the cemetery of the Wielbark culture discovered in Żalęcino (Stargard poviat). The cemeteries of this archaeological culture contain both inhumation and cremation graves. They are also known for the richly furnished burrow burials of the tribe aristocracy. The culture derives its name from one of its cemeteries discovered in the town of Wielbark near Malbork. The people of this culture inhabited most of Pomerania region between the 1st and mid-5th centuries. The burial of the woman laid into the grave in a log coffin, apart from the fibula contained also other bronze accessories: strap-ends, pins, a needle, a bone comb, and a sandstone spindle whorl for weighing down the spindle. The bronze fibula is decorated with a silver applique. The high level of processing of non-ferrous metals and the art of jewellry making is a characteristic of the Wielbark culture. Decorations and parts of clothing, such as fibulae and bracelets, were not only adorned with appliques made of precious metals, but also decorated with filigree, filigree-like decorations and beads. The Wielbark culture is also distinguished by the lack of any weapons or iron objects in their graves. The cemetery in Żalęcino was bi-ritual, meaning that it contained both cremation and inhumation burials. In 1976-1979 the first, rescue archaeological excavations of the cemetery were carried out, in connection with intense works conducted in the gravel pit. In the pre-war period, only a few items were discovered in Żalężciono, but it is not known whether they were found in the area of the cemetery.

Bartłomiej Rogalski