Some archaeological finds can be connected with the groups of barbarian peoples that came into contact with the population inhabiting the border zone between Italy and Illyricum in the late 4^th and early 5^th century. In spite of their low number, they are highly revealing and came to light in the cemetery at Ptuj Castle, in individual graves at Ljubljana and as habitation traces at Predjama near Postojna. Individual finds confirm the presence of foreigners at the early hilltop settlements.

The brooches from this period include two crossbow brooches (centre right), while the simple bow brooch (top) is slightly later; all have numerous comparisons in the area of the Gothic state along the Black Sea. Links with this area may also be seen in the pyramidal pendants of bone (centre right), presumably symbolising the club of Hercules or Donar and found at Ptuj Castle and Kranj.

Some artefacts also show connections with the Central Danube Basin, the territory of the Suebi. One such item is a brooch from the grave of a young woman found in the garden of the National Museum of Slovenia in Ljubljana. The two fragments of ‘nomadic’ mirrors of white metal are later in date; the metal is an alloy of copper and a large amount of tin, both of which are eastern in origin.

The most numerous foreign objects are Germanic brooches, predominantly dating to the late 5^th and the 6^th century. They are made of gilded silver and come in a variety of shapes (radiate-headed, bird-shaped, S-shaped), with chip-carved decoration and often with garnet inlays. Inlays of semi-precious stones also decorated finger rings, different pendants and cloisonné mounts.

Knific, Timotej in Nabergoj, Tomaž, 2016: Medieval Stories from the Crossroads, Ljubljana, Fig. 13, pp. 20, 218, 219.