Cross-shaped pendant

An amber pendant discovered during excavations in 1965 or 1966 in the Old Town near the town hall in Kamień Pomorski, usually referred to as a cross, made of Baltic amber, or succinite. The arms of the cross are slightly flared at the ends. The hole for the string was drilled from both sides. The surface shows traces of working on the piece with a simple tool, most likely a knife. Cross pendants in the early Middle Ages were made of non-ferrous metal alloys and amber. In Pomerania, amber crosses are found in the early urban centres which were Christianised in the first half of the 12th century. The variety and simplicity of their shapes suggest that they were made for personal use, most probably to manifest the Christian faith introduced to Pomerania on the initiative of Bolesław the Wrymouth by St Otto of Bamberg. Other symbols of Christianity that appeared in the West Pomeranian lands in the 12th and 13th centuries included various ornaments with the symbol of the cross. The excavations in Wolin resulted in finding a pendant and clasps decorated with an isosceles cross, also known as the Nordic cross. Rings made of metal wire or ribbon with a shield adorned with a cross are more popular. One of the most unique finds of this kind was an amber ring with the depiction of a cross discovered during archaeological excavations in Szczecin’s district near the Oder River.

Ewa Górkiewicz-Bucka