Ressource – Tauschobjekt – Symbolgut

Away from the well-known Amber Road, this study opens up a new perspective on amber in the northern Barbaricum. Over 22,000 finds from almost 700 sites – mainly from graves, but also from settlements and hoards – were systematically recorded and evaluated. Whether as beads, game pieces, or raw pieces, the wide variety of forms reflects the diverse uses as well as symbolic and social meanings. Analysis using different methods provides new insights into the diversity of objects, their manufacture, social contexts, and supra-regional exchange and trade processes. The study thus makes a significant contribution to the reconstruction of intra-Barbarian networks and material culture during the first millennium AD.