Overview

The fashion among early medieval German cultures of filling their graves with precious metal objects meant there were real problems in obtaining metals. The decline of the Roman empire ended that source of supply so Germans had to be ever more resourceful, particularly in recycling techniques. This study examines in detail the symbolic and functional value of gold, silver, copper, brass, iron, tin and lead to Germanic society during prehistory and the Roman period as well as during the Middle Ages. Martin Baumeiser discusses the accumulation of wealth that was associated with contact with the Romans and how, after the Roman period, Germans resorted to recycling scrap metal from Roman remains to support their taste for opulent grave goods and coin hoards. This extrvagant practice, Baumeister argues, was a very genuine reason for the decline of the Merovingian kings. Further sections examine the impact of nomadic raiders on the supply of metals, the technical demands of recycling, the procurement of metals by force, and the way in which Carolingian rulers struggled to control this opulence which was so integral to Germanic culture and society. German text, English and French summaries.

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