Medieval brooches from the Dutch province of Friesland (Frisia): a regional perspective on the Wijnaldum brooches. General Introduction

Abstract

From 1991 to 1993 excavations took place at the supposedly 'royal' site of Wijnaldum (Dutch province of Friesland). Among the finds were many metal items. It was decided to make an inventory of all Frisian metal finds, starting with the brooches. This would provide Wijnaldum with a context, otherwise it would become 'too special' indeed, apart from the jewellery there are no striking discrepancies between the Wijnaldum finds and the other brooches from Friesland. Many amateurs collaborated on this project. Almost 2000 brooches were recorded, of which over 1500 were medieval. This is an introduction to the catalogue.