A bridle, a fang

The bit is one of the most interesting archaeological finds in Pomerania. It is made entirely of bronze and consists of four links. It was an essential part of the bridle of the horse harness. Placed between the animal’s teeth, it made it possible to steer it by transmitting appropriate signals. The bit also called a curb, is an element of a unique hoard discovered in a swamp in 1884. It includes parts of a horse tack, moulds for casting axes, fibulae, a magnificent razor and fragments of bronze and iron products. It should be emphasised that the marshy context of the hoard may be indicative of its special significance connected with the religious sphere and sacrificial offerings. The deposit ended up in the museum collection in Szczecin and was stored there until August 1944. Due to the approaching front and Allied air raids, it was transported deep into Germany. It only returned to Szczecin in 2009 under the Polish-German exchange of old archaeological collections. The Kiełpin deposit, dated to the early Iron Age, i.e., the Hallstatt C period (ca. 750-600/550 BC), contains items bearing features of products from the Hallstatt culture, whose name derives from the Hallstatt burial ground in Austria. The presented bit, as well as a similar specimen from the same hoard, is considered to have been imported from the areas colonised by this culture. It should also be emphasised that both curbs are unique finds in Poland.

Dorota Kozłowska