Abstract

The final phase of conctacts of Polish lands with the sphere of civilization of the provinces of Roman Empire falls during the period of migration of nations. It is the time of imports made by the Romans themselves or coming from the broadly conceived culture of provinces of the Roman Empire covering the areas situated on the Black Sea, the Danube and the Rhine. They include: 1) coins and lockets, 2) imports from Roman provinces that were the continuation of a wave of Roman industrial imports (vessels, and glass beads, bronze bowl, golden „bulla"), 3) gold and silver ore in the shape of simple or destroyed objects (cut fragments of silver bowls). Until the third quarter of the fourth century Polish lands had quite strong economic ties with Roman provinces resulting in imports of bronze and silver coins of the Constantine dynasty and the dynasties of Valentinian I (364-375) and Valens (364-378). The coins might have been an equivalent for amber. Trade also caused the imports of glass polished cups of Kowalki and Ługi types, coming form the areas situated on the Black Sea (Bosphorus Kingdom and Czerniachów culture). Political reasons brought to Polish lands Roman medallions at that time. In mid-370s, as a result of developments connected with the beginning of migration of nations in Europe, the centres on the Black Sea were destroyed and the barbarians broke the Danube Limes. The new tribal and political situation on the Danube put an end to the hitherto relations. From that time on, contacts between Polish lands and the sphere of culture of Roman provinces were confined to non-economic domain. Some sporadic cases of continuation of trade in amber may be confirmed, among other things, by amber treasure of Basonia, Lublin province (first half of the 5th century) and by findings of bronze and silver coins of the late 4th-4th/5th century. Yet a dicisive part was played at that time by non-economic contacts (last quarter of the 4th c. — first quarter of the 5th c.), which is reflected in the occurrence on Polish lands of solidi (as well as medallions), mainly in the territory of the east Lublin and west Volyn group.