Przeworsk culture

The green area is the Przeworsk culture in the first half of the 3rd century. The red area is the extent of the Wielbark culture, the yellow area is a Baltic culture (Yotvingian?), and the pink area is the Dębczyn culture. The dark blue area is the Roman Empire

Location & Chronology

The Przeworsk culture is part of an Iron Age archaeological complex that dates from the 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD. It was located in what is now central and southern Poland and parts of eastern Slovakia and Carpathian Ruthenia ranging between the Oder and the middle and upper Vistula Rivers into the headwaters of the Dniester and Tisza Rivers. It takes its name from the village near the town Przeworsk where the first artefacts were found.

Influences

Scholars view the Przeworsk culture as an amalgam of a series of localized cultures. Preceeded by the Pomeranian culture (especially the Bell-Shaped sub-culture), the Przeowrsk tradition arose due to influences which are considered external to the Vistula basin. The most prominent influences are those of the La Tene (especially in metal-work) and Jastorf cultures.

To the east, in what is now northern Ukraine and southern Belarus, was the Zarubintsy culture, to which it is linked as a larger archaeological complex. Much of this area was subsequently absorbed by the Wielbark culture.

Ethnic affiliation

Roman-era writers report this area as being occupied by Veneti, as well as Lugians, to the south. The Burgundians and Vandals are known to have been settled in portions of the area, prior to their outmigration, toward the end of this cultural period.

Early twentieth century scholars often engaged in heated debates as to the bearers of the Przeworsk culture. A substantial effort has been expended in the past to characterize the latter as an early Slavic-speaking community, whilst German scholars attributed it to Vandals and Burgundians. However, it is impossible to believe that a single people could lay behind such a territorially wide and culturally varied zone. Therefore, modern thinking leans towards assigning the culture to an association of tribes of proto-Slavic, Germanic and Celtic origins.

Features

The main feature of the Przeworsk culture are burials. These are mostly cremations, with occasional inhumation. Warrior burials are notable, which often include horsegear and spurs. Some burials are exceptionally rich, overshadowing the graves of Germanic groups further west. Later burials become poorly furnished, perhaps reflecting changes in burial practices.

Decline

The culture's decline in the late fourth century coincides with arrival of Huns and subsequent westward movement of Germanic groups. In the late fifth century, the Prague-Korchak culture appears in the Vitula basin.

Resources

• Mallory, James P.; Adams, Douglas Q. (1997), Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture, Taylor & Francis, ISBN 1884964982

• Todd, Malcolm, The Early Germans, Blackwell Publishing, ISBN 0 -631-19904-7

• Heather, Peter (2006), The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0195159543

• Cunliffe, Barry; Todd, Malcolm (2001), The Oxford Illustrated History of Prehistoric Europe, Oxford, ISBN 0192854410

See also

• Early Slavs
• Vandals
• Zarubintsy culture