In 1863 Rudolph Ludwig retrieved 250 fibulae from the 1st to 4th centuries comprising what is known as the Pyrmonter Brunnenfund. After their discovery, the pieces found their way into a large number of German collections, so that to this day there has been neither a thorough study of the whole find nor a proper assessment and evaluation of it.
The present study is the first to present the complete and very chequered history of the individual pieces, to determine their archaeological and historical significance and to compare the relevance of this sacrificial complex with other sacrificial sites, particularly in Northern Europe.