Gullgubber
Guldgubbe (plural guldgubbar ) is the Swedish word for " gold man", one to two centimeter -sized figures made of gold plate, whose localities are limited to Scandinavia, where they were found at 30 locations (7, in Norway, 12 in Sweden and 11 in Denmark davo 4 on Bornholm ). Because of the well-executed designs the finds of the oldest toreutic of the North have attracted early attention. Your interpretation is still controversial.
Name
Your appointment follows a study published in 1791 treatise by the Swedish archaeologist Niels Henrik Sjöborg ( 1767-1838 ), which states that the farmers in Ravlunda at Kivik ( Scania) in the dunes repeatedly found small gold plates, which they " guldgubbar " mentioned. Sjöborg took the name of the farmers. The Danish literature used guldgubber the plural formation.
Locations
The approximately 3,000 artifacts were divided fairly uneven. By far most of them come from the island of Bornholm. Further discoveries were made in Norway and Sweden. Only two sites is known in Jutland. On Bornholm the important locality "variety Muld " is with only 2,500 figurines.
In today's Denmark Lundeborg is also of interest. The most numerous Swedish finds come from Uppåkra in Lund, Slöinge ( Halland ), Västra Vång at Ronneby (Blekinge ), Helgö in Lake Mälaren and the castle Eketorp on Öland. In Norway, there were findings in Vingrom in Lillehammer, at the Church of Mære in Steinkjer ( Nord-Trøndelag ), all the way up to Borg (Lofoten ).
Topics
The figurines are on thin small, often quadrangular Blechstückchen. The gold sheet is so thin that you can not hold in your hand without damaging it. This tenderness suggests that they played a special function. They were obviously not intended to be all too often touched, otherwise they would have remained hardly exists today. The very detailed design with the naked eye difficult to detect.
Three main reasons can be identified: single people, couples people and animals. Some are provided with incised decoration.
Due to recently, especially with the Danish material tests carried out the figurine can be classified according to the form, gesture or clothing into different groups. On one hand, the gods, or nobles, on the other hand, dancers or Performers cultic activities. Often the figurine with various attributes are mapped. There are, for example, men who hold a rod, or women who submit a drinking horn. The male version has been interpreted as a representation of the god Thor.
Other objects show single men or women. On the sheet gold figurines that were found in the castle Eketorp on Öland, an entire family seems to be mapped. In other cases a dancer can be seen, at least a particular movement is performed. The leg position is reminiscent of the figures on the gold collar of Älleberg that have been interpreted as a bird Deuter. The gold sheet figures are sometimes naked, but mostly dressed festively.
Some have been made by a male. In this context, a bronze plate ( 10 x 14 mm) from a settlement in Va. in Skåne of interest, showing the relief image of a woman on the type of gold plates. Maybe there is a male to produce the gold sheet figures.
On the island of Bornholm were various gold foil figurines representing pigs or other animals discovered. In Sweden, so far there are no such animal figures.
The en face depicted women of the sheets of Eketorp wear a long skirt, which is closed off by a patterned border and often ends up in a train. A scarf is above the shoulders. The hair is collected in a loose neck node. The profile seen in men of Eketorp wear long hair and fur-like coat, sometimes long pants.
Dating
The Helgöbleche lay scattered on the centuries inhabited place so that they do not provide a clue for dating. Guldgubber are associated in some Danish finds of Roman solidi and Bracteates D-type. This points to the transition from the peoples migration to Vendelzeit. It is no different with the sheets of Eketorp, which included some of the pieces typical of the Migration Period golden spiral wire. They originate from the lower occupation layer, so that they can be dated with great probability in the international migration ( 400-550 AD) or in the older Vendelzeit. The graves in Småland and Ulltuna have the Vendel.
Interpretation
What purpose was served by the Goldmännchen, is further clarified. It could be either offerings or payment agent in a ritual context. This is suggested that the localities most central of control and spiritual meaning is ascribed. Some guldgubber come from hoards, but most are single or settlement finds. Only rarely are they pierced for sewing, some have eyelets on.