Dish with a nipple

This clay vessel with a nipple was discovered in 1957 in Topornica (Zamość District). The item was excavated that year by archaeologists from the Lublin Museum while exploring plot no. 27 in the burial ground under research (for more information on the entire archaeological site, see: 441/A/ML and 445/A/ML).

This particular vessel is small – only 8.5 cm high. It has a polished surface and is made of clay mixed with sand. It has a round belly with a lump with a large opening in its widest point. Due to the presence of this element, the vessel is assumed to have been a container with a nipple most likely used for feeding babies.

The purpose of the vessel is implied not only by its shape but also by its place of discovery. It was found among many other small clay objects identified as children's toys. These were both miniature vessels, usually less than 5 cm in size, as well as rattles, zoomorphic figures, and a cone-shaped vessel.

The vessel with the nipple was found as a loose relic, i.e. it was not discovered in any of the 230 graves in the burial ground. Is it due to the fact that the tomb in which it was located did not survive to our times? Or, as some researchers claim – because such items were related to magical rituals associated with the commemoration of the dead?

Unfortunately, we do not have clear answers to these questions yet, only further research and a larger source base can help in solving the mystery.