Pietroasele Treasure

Henri Trenk

.

The Pietroasele Treasure (or the Petrossa Treasure) found in

Pietroasele, Buzău, Romania, in 1837, is a late fourth-century Gothic treasure that included some twenty-two objects of gold, among the most famous examples of the polychrome style of Migration Period art

.

Of the twenty-two pieces, only twelve have survived, conserved at the

Orphic figures^[1] surrounding a seated three-dimensional goddess in the center; a twelve-sided cup, a ring with a Gothic runic inscription

, a large tray, two other necklaces and a pitcher.

History

When

Thervings

, a Gothic people. Modern archaeologists cannot connect the hoard with such a glamorous name.

The treasure was shipped to Moscow in December 1916, as German armies advanced through Romania in World War I, and was not returned until 1956.

The artifacts were restored in a way that has been questioned more recently. For instance, old photos show that the head of the largest bird brooch was originally detached, and the present restoration has the head on the wrong way round. In its original state the head would have faced forwards and the brooch would have sat like a bird on the shoulder fastening a cloak in imitation of the Roman fashion.^[3]

Interpretation

The hoard represents multiple artistic styles: the

Sasanian motifs in the baskets, and Germanic fashions in the fibulae.^[4] Such heterogeneity is characteristic of the cosmopolitan outlook of the Chernyakhov culture in a region without defined topographic

confines.

An atomic analysis of the Pietroasele gold hoard has concluded that from the point of view of Ir/Au, Cu/Au and Ag/Au concentrations the three styles are clustered. At least from the iridium concentration data, the assumption of a Dacian provenance of the hoard raw material is highly improbable as also the hypothesis that Roman imperial gold coins were used for manufacturing Pietroasa artifacts is not in accordance with the elemental concentrations.[5]

Gallery

An eagle-shaped fibula
Eagle-shaped middle fibulae, worn in pairs by Gothic women
Cup of gold, silver, garnet and tourmaline
Patera from the Pietroasele hoard, National Museum of Romanian History (Inv. 11427)
Detail on the patera
Plate with concentric ornamentation
Oenochoe

Notes

^ Campbell, Joseph. The Masks of God: Creative Mythology. 1968.
^ Odobescu, Alexandru, Le Trésor de Petrossa, Paris, 1889-1900.
^ David Brown, The brooches in the Pietroasa Treasure, Antiquity 46, 1972, 111-6
^ Herbert Kühn, "Asiatic Influences on the Art of the Migrations" Parnassus 9.1 (January 1937, pp. 13-16, 43) p. 14
^ Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 240 (1999) 897 Nuclear analyses of the Pietroasa gold hoard, Viorel Cojocaru, Cãlin Besliu and Cristina Anton Manea

External links

Pietroasele treasure, at the National Museum of Romanian History
Illustrations
Coins depicting the treasure
A great gold eagle brooch
Vivid: Romania through international eyes, Tim Judy, "The treasure of the Pietroasa" Part I: December 2005 Part II: January 2006

[1] Campbell, Joseph. The Masks of God: Creative Mythology. 1968.

[2] Odobescu, Alexandru, Le Trésor de Petrossa, Paris, 1889-1900.

[3] David Brown, The brooches in the Pietroasa Treasure, Antiquity 46, 1972, 111-6

[4] Herbert Kühn, "Asiatic Influences on the Art of the Migrations" Parnassus 9.1 (January 1937, pp. 13-16, 43) p. 14

[5] Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 240 (1999) 897 Nuclear analyses of the Pietroasa gold hoard, Viorel Cojocaru, Cãlin Besliu and Cristina Anton Manea

[1]

[3]

[4]

History

Interpretation

Gallery

See also

Notes

External links