Medieval Amethyst Jewel "Worthy of a Duke" Unearthed at Castle Kolno

Researchers from the Institute of Archaeology on the University of Wroclaw have unearthed a medieval amethyst jewel “worth of a duke” at Castle Kolno, placed among the Stobrawa and Budkowiczanka rivers in Stare Kolnie, Poland. This archaeological find in Poland offers a rare look at medieval aristocratic life.

Castle Kolno discovery: The castle was founded within the 13th century to function both a border fortification and a customs point for river exchange within the Duchy of Brzeg.

By the fifteenth century the castle`s strategic significance had waned, and it was in the end destroyed by hearth all through local conflicts. Never rebuilt, its surviving masonry and architectural factors were later quarried within the 18th century to be used as constructing fabric elsewhere.

Recent excavations within the castle`s moat have unearthed an extraordinary jewel defined as “worth of a duke” – a silver-gilt amethyst putting, probable a part of a brooch or a bigger ornament, normal of elite medieval jewelry from the thirteenth century throughout Europe. The 600-year-old jewel provides vital context to the history of the region.

Image Credit : N. Lenkow & L. Marek

A look at posted within the magazine Antiquity found out the craftsmanship of the putting: XRF (X-ray fluorescence) and SEM-EDS (scanning electron microscopy with power dispersive spectroscopy) recognized that the silver was fire-gilded, evidenced by enormous mercury traces.

The gem itself is an amethyst cabochon set in a cone-formed claw mount, encircled by openwork rays or petal-formed motifs. “According to medieval folklore, the amethyst symbolism medieval culture embraced included guarding against intoxication and venom, representing faith, modesty and martyrdom. It was alleged to offer safety from gout, awful dreams, treason, deceit, captivity, blindness, appeal and strangulation.” Said the look at authors.

The discovery at Castle Kolno offers a clean window into the mobility of superb artifacts and the interactions of elite tradition with extra everyday contexts. The authors advise that the gem‐putting may have been misplaced by a traveler passing thru the castle`s crossing, possibly on manner to or from the ducal customs residence that the castle firstly guarded, highlighting why high-status Castle Kolno artifacts are so valuable.