The Migration Period in Swedish prehistory (c. 400–550 CE) was a time of significant cultural and material change, coinciding with the arrival of the Huns in Europe and the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. This era saw an influx of gold into Scandinavia, which was used by the elite to produce fine goldsmith work, such as filigree collars and bracteate pendants. These luxurious items reflected the wealth of the ruling classes and were deeply symbolic in early Germanic poetry cycles like Beowulf and the Niebelungenlied.
Earlier interpretations of the Migration Period suggested it was a time of crisis and devastation, but more recent scholarship views it as a period of prosperity for the Scandinavian elite. However, this prosperity likely ended with the atmospheric dust event of 535–536 CE, which caused a dramatic climate shift and subsequent famine, bringing about a significant downturn in the region. This period set the stage for the Vendel Period, which followed, and continued to shape the cultural and political landscape of early Sweden.