Early Germanic culture

This article has an unclear citation style. The reason given is: article has a lot of quotes (and their citations) added as notes. Inline these if they are needed, and if they are not needed then remove them. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation and footnoting. (January 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Early Germanic culture was the culture of the early Germanic peoples. The Germanic culture started to exist in the Jastorf culture located along the central part of the Elbe River in central Germany. From there it spread north to the ocean, east to the Vistula River, west to the Rhine River, and south to the Danube River. It came under significant external influence during the Migration Period, particularly from ancient Rome.

The Germanic peoples eventually overwhelmed the Western Roman Empire, which by the Middle Ages facilitated their conversion from paganism to Christianity and the abandonment of their tribal way of life. Certain traces of early Germanic culture have survived among the Germanic peoples up to the present day.