The original objective of this thesis was to produce a survey of the metalwork recovered from the Lower Danubian region in the Late Antique and Migratory periods. The problem appeared to be largely one of developing a new organization for existing material which was not readily available to Western scholars. Secondarily the study proposed to analyse these forms in order to determine their function and to evaluate symbolic content and - where possible - the technical achievement which they demonstrate. It soon became evident that there was simply not enough range in the available material to satisfy these objectives. Therefore the period covered was shifted back to classical times and material from adjacent regions was included in order to establish a sound basis for comparison. No attempt was made to prove the evolution of Thraco-Getic or Dacian art from earlier material. Some of the examples illustrated have been cited repeatedly by scholars as relevant for one reason or another. They have become virtually a part of the literature especially associated with Thraco-Getic art, and yet have brought us no closer to appreciating the evolution of this art. While the present state of knowledge of the Thraco-Getic and Dacian culture does not allow more than speculation as to the specific symbolic content of these forms, this symbolism was reflected in similar forms and images in the established art of contemporary cultures. Looking at similar or related metalwork over a substantially enlarged region and extended period proved to be fruitful in several ways. The individual character of Thraco-Getic and Dacian metalwork was clearly revealed by comparison with the metalwork of their contemporaries - the Greeks, Persians, Scythians and Colts. Further, through such comparisons the forms themselves became comprehensible as examples taken from large families or categories of forms already ancient by the classical period. Consequently an attempt was made to explain the longevity of these categories of metalwork and the continuity demonstrated in both the forms and their symbolic content. Tho originality of this study rents mainly on two factors: the detailed analysis of Thraco-Getic and Dacian metalwork and the interpretation of its technical achievement through analysis of its material structure. The study has perhaps been successful in advancing to some degree current knowledge of Thraco-Getic and Dacian metalwork. It is largely due to the fact that this material is not widely recognised as a link between East and West that care was taken to include early on in the text background information about the cultures and peoples whose influence is clearly recorded in these artefacts. Material relevant to metalwork in general which was discovered during this study and is germane to the forms themselves is presented in Chapters I and II, and again as essential introductory material. A general description of each category of form precedes the detailed analysis of specific pieces. Thus the study moves from the general to the particular even though this is the inverse order by which the research was conducted. The reason for this is precisely the lack of a major study surveying the entire field.

Inaugural speech delivered on Nov. 27, 2008 at the Universiteit van Amsterdam. / Published under the auspices of the Universiteit van Amsterdam. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 27).