A knee-cap, an empty knee-cap, a rim

The anklet was found in Gniewino in 1885, with other bronze hoards discovered during spring ploughing. Another part of the same hoard was discovered the same year, in summer. The deposit, dated to the Early Iron Age (ca. 600/550–450/400 BC), consisted of anklets, bracelets, and a neck-ring; approximately 20 objects in total that were allotted to various museums.

The presented anklet is hollow, ornamented with three transverse ribs and a row of dots on the ends. On the inside there is a groove through which a clay core (used for casting) was removed.

The function of ring ornaments, like the presented anklet, is hard to determine. Usually, the size is crucial. Lesser rings are considered to be bracelets. The most reliable source of information on this matter can be found in the inhumation graves. The placement on the remnants of the deceased person clearly indicates whether an ornament was a neck-ring, an anklet or an armlet. However, such findings are rather uncommon.

Monika Witek