A Merovingian trace in the Baltic Region: the distribution and chronology of bow equal-armed brooches found in the Baltic region

According to archaeological material from recent and pre-war excavations,1 several bow equal-armed brooches imported from Frankish territory or its zone of influence to the north of the Alps reached the east and southeast Baltic regions during Middle and Late Merovingian times2. Gleicharmige Bügelfibeln are quite spectacular imports found in the lands of the Baits, and, according to the typology proposed by S. Thörle (2001), they belong to quite diverse bow equal-armed brooch groups. However, not all of the bow equal-armed brooches from the former East Prussia survived the Second World War. We know some only from literature , and archive material. That is why it is not possible to evaluate the grave contexts of all bow equal-armed brooches, classify them precisely, and ascertain their chronology. As a result, it is not always possible to determine if a bow equal-armed brooch is imported, or if it was cast locally using ready-made examples