ABSTRACT
The subject of this study is the remarkable concentration of Late Roman gold finds in the Germanic frontier zone on both sides of the Lower Rhine (fig. 1). From a period of less than one century, we currently know of some 2400 solidi, amounting to almost 11 kg in weight, and gold ornaments weighing about 1.5 kg, 2 bringing the total gold weight to over 12 kg. How this quantity relates to the real volume of Roman gold circulating there at that time remains speculative, but I would say it certainly represents less than 1%. 3 We therefore have to allow for an influx of several thousand kilograms of Roman gold in this period. The considerable increase in hoard finds and isolated finds in the past decades (largely due to metal detection) enables us to identify significant patterns in the data. This study presents a new comprehensive overview of the material evidence as well as a social and historical interpretation. Specific objectives are:
