Belt buckle

Richly ornamented, made of gilded silver, elements of a late Gothic belt, including buckles, were found together with Pomeranian coins in the so-called Podzamcze treasure, discovered in 1999 in Szczecin during excavations under the floor of a tenement house on the historical Fish Market. The ornaments might have belonged to a local patrician - a wealthy burgher, possibly holding the position of town councillor. They were part of valuables belonging to the family for generations, which is indicated by the excellent preservation of all the objects. Among them, there was a gilded, two-part hinged buckle with a three-leaved frame made using casting, engraving, soldering and riveting techniques. The most visible part of the belt, used for fastening the ends of a leather strap, has an acanthus leaf engraved on the buckle face - a decorative motif often used in the Middle Ages in the form of a stylised Mediterranean plant. From the late Middle Ages, three types of belt strap connections are known. The first was the traditional buckle; the belt was threaded through the buckle and locked with a spike. The second type was a buckle, whose metal parts were mounted on the ends of the belt or metal belt segments. The third was a ratchet construction used relatively rarely, only with narrow belts.

Małgorzata Peszko