Pendants from a Merovingian grave
Date:
Sixth century
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Netherlands
Medium:
Gold,
Garnet,
Rock crystal,
Silver
Dimensions:
Each approximately 3 cm in diameter
Description:
This bracteate and bound rock-crystal pendant were found in a Merovingian-era grave in the Pandhof cemetery in Maastricht, the Netherlands (formerly part of northern Gaul). The sixth- and seventh-century cemetery was excavated in the 1980s, and these pieces came from a woman's grave (known as Pandhof grave 418 or grave 11321), one of the richest in the cemetery. It also had in it golden earrings, a silver belt buckle, coins, and strings of beads (gold, amber, glass). The gold bracteate is decorated with filigree, and it has two triangular cells with inlayed garnets. The rock-crystal ball is bound in a silver frame.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
2,
3
Repository and Online Resources:
• These grave goods are now in the treasury of the Basilica of St. Servatius, Maastricht.
Image Credits:
Genevra Kornbluth
