The social group of equestrians represents a component of Germanic society in the barbarian territory at the Middle Danube, which was not yet properly and extensively studied due to lack of archaeological sources. Since the cremation... more
The social group of equestrians represents a component of Germanic society in the barbarian territory at the Middle Danube, which was not yet properly and extensively studied due to lack of archaeological sources. Since the cremation burials were practised over the whole of the Roman Period, we do not know any graves of mounted warriors and the spectrum of equestrian equipment from cremation graves is limited. Apart from solitary finds of horse harness components (cheek bars, rein guides, phalerae or pendants), the finds are almost exclusively represented by spurs. Their present number on individual Suebic burial grounds varies between zero and 15 pieces. This state of knowledge may be changed by a new cemetery from the time of the Marcomannic Wars at Roštění where, on the contrary, the spur finds significantly outnumber these limits.
Fragments of a pair of heavily gold-plated spurs made from a copper alloy were discovered during a metal detector survey on the grounds of a castle known today as Zítkov (cadastral territory of Choceň in the Pardubice Region). Even though... more
Fragments of a pair of heavily gold-plated spurs made from a copper alloy were discovered during a metal detector survey on the grounds of a castle known today as Zítkov (cadastral territory of Choceň in the Pardubice Region). Even though it is not clear how the spurs reached their findspot, these products are extraordinary evidence of work with non-ferrous metal in the 14th century or at the beginning of the 15th century. Their connection with the knightly milieu is evident from the craftsmanship of the artefacts and the gold-plating of their surface.
