A late Imperial chamber grave discovered in Pförring, Bavaria, contains artifacts likely worn as belt hangers, a notable find in Bavaria where the traditional folk costume includes a charivari, a chain belt with a variety of pendants (coins, gemstones, animal fangs/claws, horn, etc.).

The grave of a young woman from the first half of the 5th century was unearthed in 2016. It contained many grave goods, including a group of assorted objects next to her left thigh. They were removed in a soil block and excavated in the laboratory of the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation (BLfD). While there was no chain linking the pendants, archaeologists found evidence that they were once connected with leather straps and worn as belt hangers. An X-ray found a uprising number of objects not visible on the surface.

The belt hanger components recovered from the block included two bronze keys, a bone needle box, bronze rings of different sizes, three perforated Roman coins, a decorative disc with glass inlay, a sea snail shell and a walnut decorated with bronze bands. The wide variety of the objects, the combination of practical and decorative pieces, suggests this was not just an elegant jewel or accessory, but also conveyed wealth and status. The pendants may also have been talismans worn for protective purposes.

“The finds provide an interesting insight into the late antique culture on the Danube border of the Roman Empire and the use of jewelry and symbolism. The ensemble of the young woman from Pförring is unusual in its composition and allows exciting conclusions to be drawn about the social and cultural environment of the dead,” says Prof. Mathias Pfeil, General Conservator of the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation.