Books by Christoph Eger
The Lower German Limes - a river border - stretched over 400 kilometres from the southernmost for... more The Lower German Limes - a river border - stretched over 400 kilometres from the southernmost fort Rigomagus / Remagen, Germany, to the mouth of the Rhine at Katwijk, Netherlands. A selection of the top 100 gives an insight into the eventful history of life on the Lower German Limes.
The flow of goods. Volume with 35 contributions on Roman trade, transport and logistics in the Lo... more The flow of goods. Volume with 35 contributions on Roman trade, transport and logistics in the Lower Rhine area (Germania Inferior)
This book is based on a German-Arab colloquium held in Amman in September 2013, where current exc... more This book is based on a German-Arab colloquium held in Amman in September 2013, where current excavation and research results on death and burial from Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt were presented. For the first time, Arab and Near Eastern scholars were able to discuss the main features and differences in the development of funerary practices of the dead in Roman, Byzantine and Islamic times, mainly based on archaeological sources. It also reports on the processing of old excavations and summary studies on local or regional burial customs. Apart from ten lectures presented in the colloquium, five other contributions by international scholars have been included. Among the more prominent places presented here are Palmyra, Beirut, Petra, Gerasa, Alexandria, Hermupolis and St. Paul's Monastery of Deir el-Bakhît (Thebes-West).
A Golden Age - 100 master pieces of the migration period. A selection of 100 objects of the famou... more A Golden Age - 100 master pieces of the migration period. A selection of 100 objects of the famous Diergardt collection which mostly dates to the migration period (but some objects are from Hellenistic, Roman and Early Medieval times). The pieces are part of the rich collection of Baron von Diergardt. Today they are on display in the Römisch-Germanisches Museum of Cologne, Germany. One of the most famous pieces is the so called Hunnic diadem of Kerc, Crimea. A lot of East Germanic (Gothic) and Merovingian dress accessories (brooches and belt buckles) are presented in excellent photographs as well. Diergardt bought parts of the famous collection of the french archaeologist Clodomir Boulanger. Therefor, the collection also contains artefacts from Merovingian cemeteries in Northern France, like e.g. Herpès, Monceaux and Monceau-le-Neuf.
Papers of a symposion held in the city of Oberhausen in 2012. The focus is on the settlement alon... more Papers of a symposion held in the city of Oberhausen in 2012. The focus is on the settlement along the river Emscher, Ruhr region, from paleolithic up to modern times.
Sites which are mentioned in the book:
Duisburg-Wedau (Pre-roman Iron age cemetery), Oberhausen-Sterkrade (Merovingian cemetery and coin hoard), Castrop-Rauxel-Ickern (Germanic settlement), Gelsenkirchen-Horst (medieval castle), Bottrop and others
Studies on late antique dress accessories from North Africa. The first volume deals with dress ac... more Studies on late antique dress accessories from North Africa. The first volume deals with dress accessories of the latest Roman and Vandal period, late 4th-early 6th centuries AD. In a first part, a tpyochronological analysis of brooches, belt buckles and pins is given. In a second part problems of ethnic interpretation of the Vandals in North Africa are discussed.
Studies of the extensive Pre-Roman and Roman Iron Age material from the Luhe valley (lower Saxony... more Studies of the extensive Pre-Roman and Roman Iron Age material from the Luhe valley (lower Saxony, North Germany). The focus is on the cemetery of Putensen, one of the largest urn cemeteries of Northern Germany (more than 900 cremation burials). Putensen is known for its large number of Roman bronze vessels most of them used as urns.
Vandal and Byzantine North Africa by Christoph Eger
in: Sait Can Kutsal – Fedor Schlimbach (Hrsg.), Preguntando se llega a Roma. Festschrift für Achim Arbeiter zum 65. Geburtstag, Heidelberg 2023, pp. 57–87
Early Byzantine belt buckles with Christian figural scenes from North Africa
The collection of... more Early Byzantine belt buckles with Christian figural scenes from North Africa
The collection of the Musée National de Carthage, Tunisia, houses a large number of Byzantine belt buckles and buckle plates, including a few buckles with Christian figural decoration, which are presented here. On the one hand, it is examined which motifs are represented, and on the other hand what function this decoration had on the buckle plates. The question is also addressed as to whether these could be buckles worn by clergymen. However, there is a lack of information on the archaeological features for seven of the eight buckles, so that hardly any reliable statements can be made here. The fact that such an interpretation is nevertheless being considered for three of these items is based
solely on their special shape and an iconographically more sophisticated decoration.
The National Museum of Carthage has a big collection of Byzantine belt buckles, most of them unpu... more The National Museum of Carthage has a big collection of Byzantine belt buckles, most of them unpublished. Author could document the whole collection between 1998 and 2002. This is a preliminary report of the work.
Composite Belts in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Basin. Composite belts are a special an... more Composite Belts in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Basin. Composite belts are a special and characteristic form of early medieval dress accessories. They were believed to have a nomadic origin for several decades, but currently a strong Byzantine influence is favoured. However, the material evidence indicates a clear geographical
concentration in the Black Sea region and on the Danube frontier as well as on the northern Barbarian periphery. Metal fittings of composite belts from the eastern and southern provinces of the Byzantine Empire were quite rare or almost entirely lacking. However, finds from recent excavations in the Near East and a num ber of still unpublished finds in various North African museums suggest that the composite belts were widely known in the Byzantine world. Nevertheless, their limited number compared to simple belt sets indicates that this type was not for daily use, but restricted to a certain circle of wearers. Although difficult to prove because of a lack of clear-cut contexts, the military use of composite belt seems likely.
In: Ephemeris Napocensis 20, 2010, 129-168.
A short account of Byzantine belt buckles that have been documented by the author in the National... more A short account of Byzantine belt buckles that have been documented by the author in the National Museum of Carthage and other Museums in Algeria, Tunisia and Western Libya. The text is limited to a typo-chronological overview. A more detailled study will be given in the second volume of the study of Late Antqiue dress accessories form North Africa that is in preparation.
in: Madrider Mitteilungen 44, 2003, 412-425., Jan 1, 2003
Four Byzantine objects from the National Museum of Antiquities, Algiers, are described. They are ... more Four Byzantine objects from the National Museum of Antiquities, Algiers, are described. They are made of copper alloy and were used as models for pressing metal sheets of horse harness and saddle decoration.
in: Bayerische Vorgeschichtsblätter 66, 2001, pp. 149-155., Jan 1, 2001
Three discoid brooches of probably 5th/early 6th cent. AD date from Carthage with incised decorat... more Three discoid brooches of probably 5th/early 6th cent. AD date from Carthage with incised decoration of a Saint.
Römische Quartalschrift für christliche Altertumskunde 104/1-2, 2009., Jan 1, 2009
The National Museum of Carthage holds a Byzantine buckle plate decorated with a complex figural d... more The National Museum of Carthage holds a Byzantine buckle plate decorated with a complex figural decoration. It depicts the appearance of the three men in front of Abraham at the oak of Mamre.
Annales du Musée National des Antiquités (Alger) 15, 1426 / 2005
The paper deals with earrings with cast polyhedral bead, well known form Early Migration Period c... more The paper deals with earrings with cast polyhedral bead, well known form Early Migration Period contexts in South Eastern and Central Europe. However, there is new evidence from North Africa, that these earrings were produced in late antique workshops in the Mediterranean, too.
Text in French with summary in Arab.
in: La Méditerranée et le monde mérovingien: témoins archéologiques. BAP suppl. 3 (2005) 293-297.
Archäologisches Nachrichtenblatt , 2010
The article summarizes a research on Late Antique dress accessories from North Africa, mainly bro... more The article summarizes a research on Late Antique dress accessories from North Africa, mainly brooches and belt buckles. A big part of the objects are stored in the National Museum of Carthage (Tunisia), but objects of other museums like the museums of Algiers, Constantine, Djemila, Timgad (all Algeria) and Sabratha (Libya) are considered as well.
in: Bericht Bayerische Bodendenkmalpflege 53, 2012, 341-354.
The text deals with the evidence for golden glittering garments in late antique North Africa. In ... more The text deals with the evidence for golden glittering garments in late antique North Africa. In total, we count 6 burials of Late Roman and Vandal period, that yielded rests of this kind of sumptuous textiles.
In : A. Mastino (ed.), Africa Romana XVI (Rom 2006) 899-910.
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Books by Christoph Eger
Sites which are mentioned in the book:
Duisburg-Wedau (Pre-roman Iron age cemetery), Oberhausen-Sterkrade (Merovingian cemetery and coin hoard), Castrop-Rauxel-Ickern (Germanic settlement), Gelsenkirchen-Horst (medieval castle), Bottrop and others
Vandal and Byzantine North Africa by Christoph Eger
The collection of the Musée National de Carthage, Tunisia, houses a large number of Byzantine belt buckles and buckle plates, including a few buckles with Christian figural decoration, which are presented here. On the one hand, it is examined which motifs are represented, and on the other hand what function this decoration had on the buckle plates. The question is also addressed as to whether these could be buckles worn by clergymen. However, there is a lack of information on the archaeological features for seven of the eight buckles, so that hardly any reliable statements can be made here. The fact that such an interpretation is nevertheless being considered for three of these items is based
solely on their special shape and an iconographically more sophisticated decoration.
concentration in the Black Sea region and on the Danube frontier as well as on the northern Barbarian periphery. Metal fittings of composite belts from the eastern and southern provinces of the Byzantine Empire were quite rare or almost entirely lacking. However, finds from recent excavations in the Near East and a num ber of still unpublished finds in various North African museums suggest that the composite belts were widely known in the Byzantine world. Nevertheless, their limited number compared to simple belt sets indicates that this type was not for daily use, but restricted to a certain circle of wearers. Although difficult to prove because of a lack of clear-cut contexts, the military use of composite belt seems likely.
Text in French with summary in Arab.
Sites which are mentioned in the book:
Duisburg-Wedau (Pre-roman Iron age cemetery), Oberhausen-Sterkrade (Merovingian cemetery and coin hoard), Castrop-Rauxel-Ickern (Germanic settlement), Gelsenkirchen-Horst (medieval castle), Bottrop and others
The collection of the Musée National de Carthage, Tunisia, houses a large number of Byzantine belt buckles and buckle plates, including a few buckles with Christian figural decoration, which are presented here. On the one hand, it is examined which motifs are represented, and on the other hand what function this decoration had on the buckle plates. The question is also addressed as to whether these could be buckles worn by clergymen. However, there is a lack of information on the archaeological features for seven of the eight buckles, so that hardly any reliable statements can be made here. The fact that such an interpretation is nevertheless being considered for three of these items is based
solely on their special shape and an iconographically more sophisticated decoration.
concentration in the Black Sea region and on the Danube frontier as well as on the northern Barbarian periphery. Metal fittings of composite belts from the eastern and southern provinces of the Byzantine Empire were quite rare or almost entirely lacking. However, finds from recent excavations in the Near East and a num ber of still unpublished finds in various North African museums suggest that the composite belts were widely known in the Byzantine world. Nevertheless, their limited number compared to simple belt sets indicates that this type was not for daily use, but restricted to a certain circle of wearers. Although difficult to prove because of a lack of clear-cut contexts, the military use of composite belt seems likely.
Text in French with summary in Arab.
the Iberian Peninsula. For hardly any other city south of the Pyrenees — only Barcelona can claim equal status regarding the extent and results of excavations — can the Christianization of the former public space of a Roman city be described in such detail.
Two post-antique burials were discovered in 2005 in Munigua which were interpreted as graves of Muslims given the specific way of burial. This is the first evidence for the presence of Muslims in the former Roman town. The two bodies were interred in simple East-West oriented earth graves and were stretched out on the back or on the right side with slightly flexed legs. Two radiocarbon dates suggest a dating to the 8th-9th century, i. e. in the early period of the Arabic-Islamic rule on the Iberian Peninsula. The question remains whether there is evidence in the burial custom indicating the origin of the buried individuals (groups which immigrated to the Iberian Peninsula only after 711 or natives
of the Romano-Hispanic population).
Problemas de la interpretación étnica
Introducción
El reinado de los visigodos determinó el decurso de la historia en la Península Ibérica durante más de dos siglos, siendo el 507 el año que suele ser considerado como el inicio de ese período. En ese mismo año los visigodos sufrieron una derrota desastrosa contra los francos en la batalla de Vouillé y el reino visigodo de Tolosa se derrumbó. La pérdida de Aquitania obligó al corte visigodo a emprender la huída por los Pirineos. Con ayuda ostrogoda se constituyó – primeramente en lugares de residencia cambiantes, posteriormente en Toledo – un nuevo reino visigodo que, al principio, comprendía amplias partes y, a partir del 625, nominalmente la totalidad de la Península Ibérica, así como la región de Septimania, en el sur de Francia, y que se mantuvo hasta el año 711 (Fig. 1).
Son, pues, los años 507 y 711 los que enmarcan el período del reino visigodo español, aunque la historia de los visigodos en España se remonta al siglo V. Los visigodos se adentraron por primera vez en la Península Ibérica ya en el 414/15, pero en el 419, tras haber ganado batallas contra vándalos y alanos, se retiraron hacia el sur de Francia, donde el Emperador romano les había prometido tierras . Poco después hubo soldados visigodos que volvieron a España formando parte de ejércitos romanos. Si bien, al principio, el Exercitus Gothorum operaba por encargo romano y bajo un mando también romano, en el año 454 un ejército visigodo fue enviado a la Tarraconensis a luchar contra los bagauda, esta vez bajo mando supremo propio . Tras la muerte del emperador Valentiniano III los reyes visigodos fueron adquiriendo paulatinamente el control de la Península Ibérica en un reinado propio. En el 456 siguió una campaña militar visigoda a gran escala hacia Lusitania, bajo el mando personal del rey Teodorico II. La rápida caída del Imperio Romano de Occidente resultó muy oportuna para los soberanos visigodos, de manera que ya el rey Eurico (466-484) consiguió la íntegra soberanía sobre la Península Ibérica .
Todo esto muestra que la historia política de los visigodos en España es bastante conocida a partir del siglo V. Mucho menos sabemos a partir de las fuentes escritas sobre la historia de la población y el proceso de asentamiento. Esto afecta especialmente a la pregunta de cuándo, dónde y en qué medida los miembros de la gens visigoda llegaron a asentarse en la Península Ibérica.
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Swords with Bronze Guard of the Type Aradac-Kölked-Corinth
The article focuses on the long swords (spathae) from three south-eastern European soldiers’ graves of the period around 600 and the first half of the 7th century, which differ from contemporaneous swords of the region as a result of a solid, bronze guard with extended ends. The unusual shape, the material, the Greek provenance of one of the graves, as well as parallel finds from single pieces of guards from Pergamum and Cyprus have led researchers for a long time to assume that we are dealing with Early Byzantine swords or sword parts.
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Cornelian beads with etched white decoration occur in around a dozen settlements of Late Antiquity in the southern Levant. They deserve special attention, as they count as foreign forms and point to long-distant contacts. The special technique had already been mastered in north-western India and Pakistan by the 3rd millennium BC, but cannot be continuously tracked through the ages. There is much to be said for the fact that the known beads of the post-Christian period in the Middle and Near East were no longer pro - duced in India, but in the Sassanid Empire. Following a formative phase during the 3rd to 4th/5th century the cornelian beads with etched decoration experienced a final heyday in the 6th to 8th century. Via traderoutes, warfare or diplomatic contacts they in some cases reached very isolated regions, such as the Kama in central Russia or the southern Arabian Peninsula. The concentration in the Near East, especially in the province of Arabia, indicates that the Byzantine areas close to the border were served with such beads in small numbers. However, with a few exceptions, they did not reach further into the Byzantine Empire, the Medi terranean or the north-western barbaricum.
notion of what the accouterments of the Early Byzantine army during the
late 6th and 7th centuries were like, and furthermore what kinds of weapons were used. However, both kinds of sources gave too general information, which does not allow us to build a complete picture. Therefore, the archaeological artefacts are the only source that could throw light upon the question of exactly how weapons and accouterments of the time looked, or how they can be distinguished from those coming from outside the Empire.
The unadorned massive bronze guards from the Aradac-
Kölked-Corinth type might be regarded as a product of Byzantine
craftsmanship: evidence of this is their limited occurrence on the Balkans
and in the East Mediterranean area.
Pdf here only in reduced quality.