Type I crown necklace (Kostrzewski)

This bronze neck-ring has been preserved in its entirety. Due to a characteristic way of decorating its outer side with more or less visible indentations, these types of accessories are known as “crown-shaped” neck-rings. They constitute an internally diverse category of ornaments dating from the 4th to the 1st centuries BC, characteristic of communities of the Jastorf culture, which appeared first in northern Germany and southern Scandinavia, from where they spread throughout Europe. Such objects are found on archaeological sites from the Jutland Peninsula, through Poland and Ukraine to the Balkans. Some researchers believe that the occurrence of crown-shaped neck-rings coincides with the migration routes of the Germanic Skir and Bastarn tribes. On this ground, among others, the communities of the Jastorf culture are identified with the Proto-Germanic tribes. The specific circumstances in which the neck-ring was discovered are unknown. It most probably comes from the area of Kopaniewo, Lębork poviat, where an urned grave was accidentally discovered in 1882. The burial was furnished with an umbo i.e., a bowl-shaped fitting for the centre of the shield and the javelin arrowhead. The owner of the estate, Neitze, donated the found objects to the collection of the Gesellschaft für Pommersche Geschichte und Altertumskunde in Szczecin. Due to a significant interest in the findings, Neitze made the decision to excavate the area directly around the grave. He found three more urned burials with swords, which convinced the conservator from Szczecin, Alfred Knorr, to conduct regular excavations. As a result, at least 30 graves were discovered in an area of about 70 acres.

Bartłomiej Rogalski