Temporal lanyard

The temple ring, discovered in 1979 during excavations on an early-medieval cemetery in Cedynia, in a grave of a child, was made of wire, with one end cut straight, and the other shaped into an S-shaped flattened eyelet, coiled into two spirals. Temple rings were among the most characteristic accessories worn by women on their heads in the early-medieval Slavic lands. They were prevalent in Western Pomerania from the 7th century to the early 14th century. At that time, different forms of temple rings coexisted, from rings with straight-cut ends, through forms with with one end cut and the other formed into a hook or an S-shaped eyelet, to pieces with eyelets on both sides. The vast majority of them was made out of wire of varying thickness. Their ornamentation included only the visible parts of eyelets. Hollow, Pomeranian-type rings were unique among these pieces. They were made of pieces of non-ferrous metal alloys and formed on a core, for example a piece of wood, thanks to which they remained hollow inside after being removed from it. The surfaces of the metal were adorned with geometric, floral or animal motifs using dies, stamps or engraving techniques before forming. The rings were attached to bands or headscarves, in groups of several rings, with the smallest one worn the closest to the forehead. Sometimes they were worn individually. These characteristic female ornaments are occasionally discovered in graves of men or, as in the case of Cedynia, of children. It can be presumed that they are grave gifts given to the dead.

Ewa Górkiewicz-Bucka