04-13-2009, 05:44 AM
Ive been browising some finds and some of them stick out as odd to me, It seems like the very wide belts with square belt buckles are common up until the mid 5th c. After that time the last of the Roman troops seem to begin to wear mostly Frankish and Barbarc styles.
These vary from 4 1/2" outside width to 2" outside width (gepidic and hunnish are often pretty thin, east german cultures go really thin)
Ive surveyed many pieces and will post a few examples here:
Met. Cat # 17.192.145 The buckle from the Vermand treasure is one of the widest and most lavish in engraving and workmaship, this is about 4" outside width, and might take a 2 1/2" or so belt (its set up funny) This is late 4th c. even, and is from the grave of an actual military man, probably a Foederatus of high rank.
Met cat. 1990.184 This one is Gepidic and is 5 in. long, it is around 2" wide and would take about a 1 1/2" belt. This one is 5th c.
Visigothic buckles are in a range from taking a 1 1/2" belt to taking a 2 1/2" belt, some are VERY large and heavy e.g. cat. # 1988.305ab
Thus it seems that in the late Roman army one would have seen a variety of belts, probably even starting around 370 AD, im sure that by 450 AD many various styles were in use. Just thought this might be of interest to some people. The very large square buckles seem to go out of fashion by 460, im not seeing them much after that.
These vary from 4 1/2" outside width to 2" outside width (gepidic and hunnish are often pretty thin, east german cultures go really thin)
Ive surveyed many pieces and will post a few examples here:
Met. Cat # 17.192.145 The buckle from the Vermand treasure is one of the widest and most lavish in engraving and workmaship, this is about 4" outside width, and might take a 2 1/2" or so belt (its set up funny) This is late 4th c. even, and is from the grave of an actual military man, probably a Foederatus of high rank.
Met cat. 1990.184 This one is Gepidic and is 5 in. long, it is around 2" wide and would take about a 1 1/2" belt. This one is 5th c.
Visigothic buckles are in a range from taking a 1 1/2" belt to taking a 2 1/2" belt, some are VERY large and heavy e.g. cat. # 1988.305ab
Thus it seems that in the late Roman army one would have seen a variety of belts, probably even starting around 370 AD, im sure that by 450 AD many various styles were in use. Just thought this might be of interest to some people. The very large square buckles seem to go out of fashion by 460, im not seeing them much after that.
aka., John Shook
