Bronze necklace distributor

Necklace separator, discovered during excavations in Cewlin, Koszalin district. The separator of individual pieces constituting a necklace was made of a piece of bronze. Its shape resembles a fish with a well-defined tail, with the surface decorated with diagonal cuts and small indentations. Along the longitudinal axis, two asymmetric holes of various diameters were made for attaching the ends of the necklace. Similar holes are found on the opposite side. The necklace separator was discovered in one of the graves in an early-medieval burial ground, during archaeological excavations carried out in 1936 and 1937 under the direction of a local historic preservation officer named Brandt. A total of 19 flat inumation graves were discovered during the two excavation seasons. The whole necropolis dates back to the 11th century, although, based on archaeological data, it can be assumed that it was also used in the 12th century. The separator rested near the neck of the corpse. It connected three necklaces of glass beads that reached to the temple rings, which were found in groups of three on both sides of the skull. Three more rings were discovered above the separator, with a biconical amber bead under it. Of all the grave goods, the collections of the National Museum in Szczecin currently hold the temple rings and a fragment of a leather sheath with a metal fitting, in addition to the necklace separator. It is worth noting that only few such separators were discovered in Poland to date, as many of them come from the Baltic cultural circle, which makes the find from Cewlin unique.

Ewa Górkiewicz-Bucka