Menswear of the Lombards : reflections in the light of archeology, iconography and written sources

Includes bibliographical references.

This paper aims at focusing on menswear, a cornerstone of theLombards which used to be an essential expression of status for the German societies. The maingoal is to offer a consistent and useful summary of the historical data, providing the reader with anup-to-date bibliographic support and a series of reconstructive interpretations, both encouraging acritical approach to the subject and helping the work of mostly any meticulous re-enactor.

Often considered to be the most barbaric among barbarian populations, the Lombards actuallyboast one of the most prosperous and complex civilizations of the Migration Period. Thei werw ableto bequeath refined cultural and artistic treasures, as well as enchanting crafts.Textile materials, colors and clothing are described using documentary, archaeological andiconographic sources from the Lombard kingdom in Italy, comparing them with the evidencepertaining to Germanic Europe and the neighboring Mediterranean world. In addition, the authorrevisits the currently known theories on the spatha suspension belt, a basic element of the armedman equipment of the Lombard menswear. [Publisher's text]