Much of the historical evidence we gain for the Early Middle Ages of Europe comes from artifacts excavated from gravesites. This Visigothic buckle is an example of one such artifact. Discovered in a Frankish cemetery near Houdan, France, it dates to the 6th century.
The Franks were a tribe inhabiting areas within what is now
France from the time of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century
to the 8th century. Known as Merovingians, for their legendary
first king, Merowech, they lived in a time of unrest and large-scale
migration, so it is difficult to find archaeological evidence of
their social and cultural activity in temples or cities. The majority
of information about the Merovingian way of life derives from the
grave goods found in cemeteries like Butte des Gargans.
Like other buckles of this type, it was found in the grave of a male warrior. Other burial objects might have included swords, other arms, ceramics and adornments. This buckle was used to secure a leather belt over a person's tunic.
This buckle, however, is of special interest because of its Visigothic origins. The Visigoth tribe was contemporary to the Franks and was one of the "barbarian" tribes that lived in Europe in the last years of the Roman Empire. The Visigoths were the western branch of the larger Gothic tribe. At the time the buckle was made, the tribe inhabited Spain. How, then, did this buckle end up in the grave of a Merovingian warrior?
Its inclusion in the grave implies that there was some sort of contact among these peoples. Despite the era being labeled as a "Dark Age," these tribes had contact with one another, and they had the ability to create elaborate goods like the buckle. Although they were often considered "barbarians," the Goths had developed the art of creating decorative jewelry and accessories.
Learn More: Visigothic Buckle (1924.02.0068)
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