Germanic crossbows fibula East Prussia, bronze

Product description

The crossbow brooch with a folded foot, dating back to the Migration Period, is available as a replica. It was discovered in a woman's grave in an East Prussian cemetery, where it had been employed to fasten her peplos at the shoulders. The brooch, a hybrid of earlier brooch designs, represents a transitional style that emerged between 200 and 450 AD during Late Antiquity and the beginning of the Migration Period. This type of brooch is known as fibula type 161, as classified by Almgren, blending characteristics of the early folded-foot brooches from the La Tène period with those of the later Roman crossbow brooches. The replica measures 5 x 2.5 x 1.5 cm and is available in high-quality bronze.

The crossbow brooch appeared in many variations over the centuries. It encompasses various forms such as eye brooches, roller cap brooches, knee brooches, and the onion-head brooches that evolved from the crossbow type. The development of the crossbow brooch began around 550–450 BC at the end of the Hallstatt period, originating from the Certosa brooch, and was common during the La Tène period, especially in the southeastern Alps. From there, it spread to other regions of Central Europe.

During the 1st to 3rd centuries BC, the Roman crossbow brooch became more widespread, appearing in Limes forts along the Rhine and in cemeteries across Germania, where it is known as the Elbe brooch. In the late Roman period, mixed forms developed, combining the earlier folded-foot brooches with the Roman-style crossbow brooches. These mixed brooches were widely employed throughout Central Europe, Scandinavia, and the Baltic during the Migration Period, dating from the middle of the 3rd century to the end of the 4th century.