A bracelet with stamped ends

The magnificent bracelet is made from a thick gold plate. Its surface is decorated with a metope motif, and the striking stamped ends are surrounded by ribbing. In archaeological literature, this type of bracelet has been referred to as Goldene Eidringe (oath rings). The romantic name was introduced into scientific writing in 1837 by the Danish researcher Christian Jürgensen Thomsen. The bracelet was discovered on 5 May 1879 during road construction. It was found directly in the ground, at a depth of 1 m. It is known that the end parts of the rim were originally in contact with each other, but a worker who removed the monument from the ground might have loosened them. The find was described as a treasure. It was bought from the finder by the Society of History and Antiquities of Pomerania (Towarzystwo Historii i Starożytności Pomorza) in Szczecin for 348 marks and 48 German pfennigs. The bracelet remained in the Szczecin museum collection until 1944, when the most valuable exhibits were evacuated deep into Germany for fear of war damage. It only returned to Szczecin in 2009 under the Polish-German exchange of old archaeological collections. Bracelets with stamped ends were made of gold and bronze. Genetically they are related to the Nordic culture and were mainly made in North German and Scandinavian workshops. It is assumed that they came to Pomerania through trade. They are dated to the 5th period of the Bronze Age (approx. 900-750 BC).

Dorota Kozłowska