Necklace

The artefact belongs to the group of bronze ornaments (see also: 1396/A/ML-1-3; for more information about the circumstances of the discovery see: 1396/A/ML-1).

The torc necklace, i.e. twisted around its axis, was made of a square bronze rod. The decoration was made by heating the material, then breaking it and twisting it with tools. The ends of the necklace have been flattened, and on the ends, despite the chipping, we can notice traces of the original folding into a tube.

The people of the Lusatian culture, who created this ornament about 2,500 years ago, used various techniques to achieve the effect of torc. In addition to the above-mentioned technique, torc necklaces were made in decaying forms (for more on this technique, see: 1396/A/ML-2) or they were mechanically carved with tools so they would resemble the one from Wakijów.

The torc necklaces differed depending on the time and place of manufacture. The main differences are: size, ending method, bar thickness, as well as the density and direction of the twists.

The described artefact shows clear signs of long-term use, which are mostly visible in the flattened part. This fact confirms the general thesis about how valuable bronze ornaments were for the community at that time.

Where was such an ornament made? Was it created by a local blacksmith or was it brought from the area? The most likely place of origin of the necklace is the Kujawy metallurgical centre. From there, as an object of exchange for other goods, it reached the vicinity of today's Wakijów, or it came to this place along with the movement of the population towards the south-east.