The proposed article examines cases of weapon damage in military burials of ancient and medieval inhabitants of the western edge of the Baltic world. Bending and sticking of offensive cold weapons during the funeral ceremony was used by the Aestii in the 3rd – 5th centuries and by their descendants, the Prussians, in the 10th – 11th centuries, i.e. during the Viking Age. These two phenomena indicate a fairly deep penetration of Germanic influence on the spiritual culture of inhabitants of the Western Baltic region both in Roman times and during the early Middle Ages. This phenomenon is associated with both time periods – old cultural contacts and the direct participation of Germanic groups in the life of the Balts who lived in the area between the Vistula and Neman rivers.
Key words: Western Balts, Germans, weapon damage, funeral ritual
DOI: 10.22250/2072-8662-2025-2-29-34
About the author
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Vladimir I. Kulakov – Doctor of Historical Sciences, Leading Researcher, Institute of Archaeology of RAS ; 19 Dm. Ulyanov St., Moscow, 117036, Russia; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |