Definition: The Vandals is the name given to a rowdy culture living on the Rhine River of Germany in the 3rd through 6th century AD, who swept through what is now France and Spain in the space of three years (AD 406-409), looting and pillaging. In 428 the Vandal leader Gaiseric attacked North Africa, conquering Carthage; in 455, Gaiseric sacked Rome. In AD 533, the Vandals were expelled from Carthage by generals of the Byzantine emperor Justinian. Although the name has stuck around in English as someone who performs mindless destruction, Vandals had little distinctive material culture and can usually be identified in archaeological sites by evidence of wide-scale destruction.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar.
