Brooches of this kind were developed by the Goths in South Russia from La Teine II type. From the north-west of the Black Sea area, these brooches travelled southwards into the Balkans, and westwards across the northern Roman frontiers to Germany and Scandinavia. This particular piece is similar to examples found in Carnuntum, Austria, and the former Yugoslavian states.
In the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome, fibulae (or brooches) were originally used for fastening garments. They came in a variety of shapes, but all were based on the safety pin principle. The Etruscans were very fond of fibulae, some of which were very large and decorated with elaborate granulation and processions of animals in relief. Roman conquests spread the use of the fibula, which became the basis for more complicated brooches. By the Middle Ages, the Roman safety pin type of fibula had fallen into disuse.
