A rare and “extraordinary” medieval artifact has been uncovered by a metal detectorist in Poland.
The object in question, which measures just over 2 inches, once attached to a belt in order to hang keys or a purse, the Kamień Land History Museum announced in a Facebook post.
It was found near the town of Kamień Pomorski in the province of West Pomerania, northwestern Poland, by Damian Tomczyk—a member of a history enthusiasts’ group who work to uncover the region’s secrets using metal detectors.
In Poland, objects of this type have exclusively been found in the northwestern part of the country. And to date, only 15 similar artifacts have been uncovered in the whole of Europe, primarily in Germany, although Hungary and Austria have yielded one example each.
Muzeum Historii Ziemi Kamieńskiej
The newly uncovered example, which is thought to date to the late medieval period, is in “very good” condition, according to the museum.
The front part of the object is anthropomorphic in form, depicting an individual seemingly placing their hands on their hips.
The director of the museum, archaeologist Grzegorz Kurka, described the latest find as “extraordinary”, Science in Poland reported.
In February, the discovery of a metal artifact thought to be a “medieval pilgrim’s badge” was announced in Poland.
The small, round object, which was cast from a lead and tin alloy, measures just over 1 inch across and is less than one-tenth of an inch thick, the provincial conservator of monuments for the city of Lublin in the east of the country said in a Facebook post.
The “badge” features a depiction of what appears to be a dragon or basilisk, a legendary serpentlike creature in European folklore that was said to have a deadly stare, according to the conservator.
In medieval Europe, some Christian pilgrims wore badges as a kind of talisman—an object thought to possess magic powers and bring good luck. These objects were believed to protect the wearer from all kinds of “evil”—including assault, theft, diseases and random accidents. They also served to distinguish the wearers as pilgrims, the post said.
The Polish Press Agency also reported last month on the discovery of an “extremely rare” copper dagger thought to be more than 4,000 years old by a metal detectorist.
Piotr Gorlach made the find while conducting a search with his metal detector in the forests near the village of Korzenica, Subcarpathia Province, in the southeast of the country, near the Ukrainian border.
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