east germans
appearance: c. -500
assimilation and differentiation: c. 10
ascendancy: south germans[1]
these are the real east germans, the ones that lived in eastern europe as far as the carpathians and the black sea before the gothic invasion. their language was likely closer to the west german, east and west sharing a common southern descent, whereas the later "east germanic language group" is descended from the north german invasion of the goths. that's not as confusing as it may appear at first. all of these tribes were heavily influenced by silesian celts and several of these tribes would have eventually come under the domination of the goths as well.
the later part of this culture, particularly that in the area of the gepids, can be identified with the wielbark culture.
descendancy: bastarni[1]
descendancy: gepids[1]
descendancy: marcomanni[1]
descendancy: quadi[1]
descendancy: rugians[1]
descendancy: skiri[1]
[1]: the role of migration in the history of the eurasian steppe, andrew bell-fialkoff, 2000
[2]: the germanic invasions, lucien musset, 1965
page last updated august 22, 2004