Beaded necklace

Bead necklace discovered in Żółcino, Kamień Pomorski district, comes from the collection of the former Gesellschaft für Pommersche Geschichte und Altertumskunde. The necklace consists of 32 glass beads and two beads made of carnelian, a red variety of chalcedony, which differ in shape, size and colour. Glass beads are barrel-shaped, cylindrical, flat and spherical, and come in blue, graphite, colourless and greenish varieties. Three of them stand out because of the way they are made – one with a glass thread fused into the mass, creating a wavy pattern, and two with two segments. The surfaces of some of the cylindrical beads are adorned with cannelures and multiplied wavy lines. The carnelian piece is characterised by its geometric, cuboctahedral shape. There are varying opinions as to the origin of carnelian and the distribution of beads made of this raw material in Poland. Chalcedony deposits are found in the Middle East, as well as in the Kaczawskie Mountains, in the Western Sudets range; however, the most popular theory puts the origin of carnelian beads in the Middle East. According to this theory, these pieces came to the Baltic region in the early Middle Ages thanks to long-distance exchange of goods. The oldest glass processing workshops in Poland are known from excavations in Wolin and Szczecin – centres actively involved in long-distance trade. Remains of slag, coagulated glass mass, as well as tools, including clay crucibles and casting tongs, prove the local production of this material. Among the most popular products were beads made of lead glass, made of lead oxide and sand, as well as potassium glass – with the addition of ash from burned plants.

Ewa Górkiewicz-Bucka