The artefacts were unearthed by archaeologists from the Szansa (Chance) association in the village of Daromin, Polish state news agency PAP reported on Monday.
“It’s an extremely intriguing and previously unknown archaeological site,” said Marek Florek, an archaeologist at the Marie Curie-Skłodowska University in the eastern city of Lublin.
He told PAP that the finds represented “a rich collection of early mediaeval artefacts, dating from the 11th and 12th centuries.”
Coins, knightly weapons, lead amulet
They include “silver coins minted during the 11th-century reign of Polish King Bolesław II the Bold, ornaments made of silver, lead and copper alloys, and military equipment,” Florek said.
He added that finds such as silver ornaments, which may have been imported from early mediaeval Ruthenia or the Baltic region, and "a lead head of a sceptre," are of “an elite nature” and suggest the Daromin settlement "had an exceptional character.”
Florek also highlighted another artefact, a lead pendant with a formulaic representation of human figure on one side and an unspecified symbol on the other.
“Nothing similar exists among ancient or mdiaeval artefacts found on Polish territory,” he told reporters.
According to the archaeologist, “the artefacts found in Daromin, especially the elite ones, suggest that a knightly court may have been situated there in the 11th and 12th centuries.”
Florek added that the find “throws new light on the relations between the people from the Sandomierz area and various parts of Europe," as well as “on the origins of the knightly forces of the Sandomierz region.”
The artefacts from Daromin are being studied by experts at the Regional Heritage Protection Office in Kielce, according to officials.
Following a full scientific analysis, the finds will be transferred to the Castle Museum in Sandomierz, the PAP news agency reported.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, rmf24.pl