DOI issue:
Artykuły
DOI article:Dymowski, Arkadiusz; Myzgin, Kirill: Inflow and redistribution of Roman Imperial Denarii in the area of the Przeworsk, Wielbark and Chernyakhiv cultures and in the Baltic Islands in the light of chronological structure of coin hoards
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31073#0056
ARKADIUSZ DYMOWSKI, KIRILL MYZGIN
territory of the Empire between the reign of Trajan'°^ and Septimius Severus. For the Wielbark cul-
ture area the same started a iittie iater, in the reign of Antoninus Pius, or possibly, of Marcus Aureiius.
This wave is iikeiy to have had two peaks:'°^ the frrst one (smaHer, typicahy with hoard types B-l and
B-2) in the reign of Antoninus Pius and/or Marcus Aureiius, and the second one (much bigger, with
hoards type C-3 and a smaii number of type BC deposits), in the eariy reign of Septimius Severus.
There are some hoards (mainly in the Przeworsk area?) databie to the in-between period (untii late
Marcus Aureiius or untii Commodus) but these are very rare. Pooi B denarii are much morę promi-
nent in smali hnds from the Przeworsk cuiture region than in those on the Wieibark cuiture area."°
Because of this we cannot ruie out the possibiiity that the target area of direct import from the Empire
of B-l and B-2 poois of denarii was iimited oniy to the Przeworsk cuiture region; this eariier sub-
wave couid have reached the Wieibark cuiture region through redistribution from their neighbours to
the south, i.e., from Przeworsk cuiture region.
Some of this coinage found its way into the ground (as dropped coins and hoard types A, B,
C, BC) in the Przeworsk and Wieibark regions (Map i) before the end of Roman Period phase Cia
(i.e., before the end of the first decade of the 3^ century). The rest, type C-3 in particuiar, continued
in circuiation in this area untii the Migration Period (probably between phase Cib and phase D, pos-
sibiy even untii phase E), gradualiy evoiving in their pattem into hoards type D (Map 2). Moreover,
the denarius pooi D was taken by the migrating Wieibark (Gothic) peopie on their way south-east.
Especiaiiy that, according to the current views, the Wieibark cuiture played a decisive role during the
initiai stage of emergence of the Chernyakhiv cuiture - when its popuiation penetrated to the iands on
the Dniester and the area of present-day Moidova during the first haif of the 3^ century (phases Cla-
Clb).'" The mass occurrence of P-2"'' century Roman denarii on the territory of Eastern Europę is
aiso linked to the Wielbark (Gothic) popuiation."- Consequently, hoards type D discovered on the
Chemyakhiv region (Map 2) shouid be considered as evidence of a late redistribution (at the earliest,
during phase Cib, i.e., AD 210s or iater) of P-2^ century denarii brought in from the Wieibark cul-
ture region. The iimited number of type B, C and BC deposits discovered on the Chernyakhiv cuiture
area may be interpreted as structuraiiy unmodified "famiiy weaith" brought by Gothic ancestors from
their Wieibark homeiand.
There is a noticeabie modest proportion of denarii of Domitian in hnds from Southern and centra) Poland.
A signihcant part of these denarii, struck from slightly better qua)ity silver than eariier and Iater denarii, disap-
peared from circuiation within the Empire during the 2"** century (LIND, "The Monetary Reforms...," p. 139). It
is possible that the denarii of Domitian were taken out from circuiation as a resuit of r/uwwrrt/o wewo/Are (con-
demnation of memory) passed on the emperor after his death in 96 (DYMOWSKi, Zno/gzAła..., pp. 78, 105).
Moreover, among Przeworsk cuiture hnds in generat there are no denarii older than AD 64, withdrawn from circu-
lation in the territory of the Empire under Trajan's edict of i 07 (LUCCHELLI, C<7 777077g?<2..., pp. 160-161). This
would be indirect evidence for dating the inhow of the whole pooi of i^-2'^-century denarii to the 2"** century.
DYMOWSKi, "Chronotogia...," pp. H0-ii3. Basing on the chronoiogical composition of denarius
hnds in Barbaricum, Helie Horsntes reached a simitar conciusion, nameiy that there were two major and quite
distinct groups of hoards, one of them eariier than the other; HORSNAIS, C/^y/wg..., p. 78.
DYMOWSKi, "Chronotogia...," pp. i iO-t 13.
"'MAGOMEDOV, C/rgrwdMon^d... g/7?o^, pp. U5-U6; SHCHUKiN, GoAł//'..., pp. !03-i08;
O.V. SHAROV, Rć777d/u'ydza c/7g7'77d^/7ow^o/ Stratum plus (Kiśinev) 4, 20i i, pp. 321-340.
MYZGiN, "Rimskie...," p. 223.
territory of the Empire between the reign of Trajan'°^ and Septimius Severus. For the Wielbark cul-
ture area the same started a iittie iater, in the reign of Antoninus Pius, or possibly, of Marcus Aureiius.
This wave is iikeiy to have had two peaks:'°^ the frrst one (smaHer, typicahy with hoard types B-l and
B-2) in the reign of Antoninus Pius and/or Marcus Aureiius, and the second one (much bigger, with
hoards type C-3 and a smaii number of type BC deposits), in the eariy reign of Septimius Severus.
There are some hoards (mainly in the Przeworsk area?) databie to the in-between period (untii late
Marcus Aureiius or untii Commodus) but these are very rare. Pooi B denarii are much morę promi-
nent in smali hnds from the Przeworsk cuiture region than in those on the Wieibark cuiture area."°
Because of this we cannot ruie out the possibiiity that the target area of direct import from the Empire
of B-l and B-2 poois of denarii was iimited oniy to the Przeworsk cuiture region; this eariier sub-
wave couid have reached the Wieibark cuiture region through redistribution from their neighbours to
the south, i.e., from Przeworsk cuiture region.
Some of this coinage found its way into the ground (as dropped coins and hoard types A, B,
C, BC) in the Przeworsk and Wieibark regions (Map i) before the end of Roman Period phase Cia
(i.e., before the end of the first decade of the 3^ century). The rest, type C-3 in particuiar, continued
in circuiation in this area untii the Migration Period (probably between phase Cib and phase D, pos-
sibiy even untii phase E), gradualiy evoiving in their pattem into hoards type D (Map 2). Moreover,
the denarius pooi D was taken by the migrating Wieibark (Gothic) peopie on their way south-east.
Especiaiiy that, according to the current views, the Wieibark cuiture played a decisive role during the
initiai stage of emergence of the Chernyakhiv cuiture - when its popuiation penetrated to the iands on
the Dniester and the area of present-day Moidova during the first haif of the 3^ century (phases Cla-
Clb).'" The mass occurrence of P-2"'' century Roman denarii on the territory of Eastern Europę is
aiso linked to the Wielbark (Gothic) popuiation."- Consequently, hoards type D discovered on the
Chemyakhiv region (Map 2) shouid be considered as evidence of a late redistribution (at the earliest,
during phase Cib, i.e., AD 210s or iater) of P-2^ century denarii brought in from the Wieibark cul-
ture region. The iimited number of type B, C and BC deposits discovered on the Chernyakhiv cuiture
area may be interpreted as structuraiiy unmodified "famiiy weaith" brought by Gothic ancestors from
their Wieibark homeiand.
There is a noticeabie modest proportion of denarii of Domitian in hnds from Southern and centra) Poland.
A signihcant part of these denarii, struck from slightly better qua)ity silver than eariier and Iater denarii, disap-
peared from circuiation within the Empire during the 2"** century (LIND, "The Monetary Reforms...," p. 139). It
is possible that the denarii of Domitian were taken out from circuiation as a resuit of r/uwwrrt/o wewo/Are (con-
demnation of memory) passed on the emperor after his death in 96 (DYMOWSKi, Zno/gzAła..., pp. 78, 105).
Moreover, among Przeworsk cuiture hnds in generat there are no denarii older than AD 64, withdrawn from circu-
lation in the territory of the Empire under Trajan's edict of i 07 (LUCCHELLI, C<7 777077g?<2..., pp. 160-161). This
would be indirect evidence for dating the inhow of the whole pooi of i^-2'^-century denarii to the 2"** century.
DYMOWSKi, "Chronotogia...," pp. H0-ii3. Basing on the chronoiogical composition of denarius
hnds in Barbaricum, Helie Horsntes reached a simitar conciusion, nameiy that there were two major and quite
distinct groups of hoards, one of them eariier than the other; HORSNAIS, C/^y/wg..., p. 78.
DYMOWSKi, "Chronotogia...," pp. i iO-t 13.
"'MAGOMEDOV, C/rgrwdMon^d... g/7?o^, pp. U5-U6; SHCHUKiN, GoAł//'..., pp. !03-i08;
O.V. SHAROV, Rć777d/u'ydza c/7g7'77d^/7ow^o/ Stratum plus (Kiśinev) 4, 20i i, pp. 321-340.
MYZGiN, "Rimskie...," p. 223.