A real archaeological treasure has been revealed in Poland thanks to the construction of a gas system in the village of Poniaty Wiekie.
When the first strange jewelry surfaced, archaeologists stepped in and unearthed an entire ancient gold-plated and yellow gold jewelry factory. The discovery is considered a great archaeological treasure not only for the more than 200 artifacts found and the building itself, but also for helping to reveal the mysteries of medieval jewelry-making techniques.
Some artifacts found at the factory were revealed by archaeologists – Photo: Jakub Affelski, Karolina Machnio
Analysis results of the artifacts showed that the jewelry dates from the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries AD. Gold-plated artifacts receive the most attention, because it is a major turning point in human jewelry making techniques. The jewelry includes earrings, bracelets and belt buckles that are cast and assembled with many bronze details.
Some artifacts found at the factory were revealed by archaeologists – Photo: Jakub Affelski, Karolina Machnio
One of the bronze belt buckles was fashioned into the face of a person, believed to belong to some nomadic tribe from the Eurasian border territories. Many artifacts originate from distant lands outside Poland. There are also many metal stamps.
Some artifacts found at the factory were revealed by archaeologists – Photo: Jakub Affelski, Karolina Machnio
According to Dr. Jakub Affelski, Head of the Excavation Research Department of the Mazowieckie Provincial Monuments Conservation Agency, the above artifacts show that the settlement around this metallurgical and jewelry workshop could have been a trading hub. important, involving large-scale trade throughout the region, in addition to supplying goods to the nearby ancient towns of Nasielsk and Pułtusk.
In addition to jewelry and metal objects, many ceramic fragments were also found. The process of excavating this historical “treasure” is still ongoing.
