Germanic Iron Age - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 31/3/12 22:18

Germanic Iron Age

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Germanic Iron Age is the name given to the period 400–800 in Northern Europe and it is part of the
continental Age of Migrations.

Germanic Iron
The Germanic Iron Age follows the Roman Iron Age and the beginning is marked by the fall of the Roman
empire and the rise of the Germanic kingdoms in Western Europe. In Scandinavia, it is followed by the Viking
Age.

It is divided into the early Germanic Iron Age (EGIA) and the late Germanic Iron Age (LGIA). In Sweden, the
LGIA 550–800 is usually referred to as the Vendel era, in Norway, the Merovinger (Merovingian) Age.

During the fall of the Roman empire, an abundance of gold flowed into Scandinavia and there are excellent
works in gold from this period. Gold was used to make scabbard mountings and bracteates.

After the Roman empire had disappeared, gold became scarce and Scandinavians began to make objects of
gilded bronze, with decorations of interlacing animals in Scandinavian style. The EGIA decorations show
animals that are rather faithful anatomically, but in the LGIA they evolve into intricate shapes with interlacing
and interwoven limbs that are well-known from the Viking Age.

See also
Stone ship
Vendel era
Germanic Heroic Age
Merovingian
Heptarchy

Source and external link

Denmark portal (http://www.denmark.dk/portal/page?
_pageid=374,477916&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Germanic_Iron_Age&oldid=481640935"

Categories: European archaeology History of the Germanic peoples Iron Age Europe Migration Period

This page was last modified on 13 March 2012 at 06:42.

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