Transformation in Meaning: Amber and Glass Beads Across the Roman Frontier

Abstract

This paper considers artefactuality and cultural interaction with reference to dress accessories (in particular beads) which can be shown to be of Germanic influence, but which are found in late Roman contexts. The variant meanings of such Germanic-inspired objects found in burial contexts within the late Roman empire are explored in relation to concepts of value and consumption, with the conclusion that connections between the cultural style of objects and the cultural identity of the consumer should not be simply assumed.