THE OSTROGOTHIC BUCKLE WITH CLOISONNé DECORATION FROM TORTONA (ITALY)

摘要

The city of Tortona (prov. Alessandria, Piedmont/I) is well known for its Ostrogothic artefacts'. Most of these were found by chance during the 1 9th century and gathered in the collection of the local scholar Cesare Di Negro-Carpani; precise information concerning where and under which circumstances they were found is not available. Archive research indicates, however, that they are grave goods from a burial ground to the north of the city, located on the Via Postumia. In this suburban area, the presence of a church dedicated to the saints Simon and Jude (perhaps of early Christian foundation) is recorded since the 10th century. Material evidence of an Ostrogothic presence in Tortona does not surprise, since a letter of Cassiodorus (Variae I, 17).addressed to the Goths and Romans living in Tortona, informs us of King Theodoric's wish to reinforce the castle located upon a hill next to the city 2 . These finds are therefore a significant confirmation'of this information. The occurrence of precious belt buckles also allows to hypothesize the presence of males of high (probably military) rank.