Discoveries from medieval Central Europe

There have been several recent online reports of significant archaeological finds from sites in central Europe.

The first is from the Slovakian city of Zvolen, which lies in the central part of the country. Wikipedia has an account of the city at Zvolen

The discovery of note there is a handsome episcopal ring which has been dated to circa 1300. At that time, and until 1918, it was part of Hungary. The ring was found at the site of the castle of Pustý hrad, for which Wikipedia has an illustrated account at Pustý hrad

The ring is described by LiveScience at Medieval gold ring found in castle in Slovakia has rare purple sapphire imported from Sri Lanka

allthatsinteresting.com also reports on the discovery at 700-Year-Old Gold Ring Discovered In The Ruins Of A Slovakian Castle Found To Feature A Sapphire From Sri Lanka

To the north in Silesia an amethyst in a gold setting was found in an excavation at the site of a castle. This was slightly later in date but equally  striking. 

LiveScience reports on the find.and includes a useful and detailed link to a history of the castle. This can all be found at 600-year-old amethyst 'worthy of a duke' found in medieval castle moat in Poland

There is another, similar article about the brooch, but with a set of detailed drawings, on the Greek Reporter website at Amethyst of Incalculable Worth Discovered in a Castle in Poland

Further north in Gdansk/Danzig archaeologists have uncovered the carved tomb cover and grave of a knight from the turn of the thirteenth and fourteenth century. The city passed from the control of the Dukes of Pomerania to that of the Teutonic Knights in 1308, so the clearly important occupant of the grave could have been associated with either.

Medievalists.net has an account of the discovery at Medieval Knight’s Grave Discovered in Poland

The discovery has received considerable publicity. There are other accounts online from Men’s Journal, with more pictures, at Archaeologists Discover Rare Skeleton of Medieval Knight Under Old Ice Cream Parlor and from archaeologymag com which has even better images of the monumental slab, at Rare medieval knight tombstone discovered in heart of Gdańsk

The article about the grave  in the Indian Defence Review concentrates too much, in my view, on the man’s height, as there is plenty of evidence that many mediaeval people were similar in height to their modern descendants, even allowing for the twentieth century spurt in height. The article can be seen at Archaeologists Discover Giant Medieval Knight in Gdańsk, Challenging Our View of the Past

Notes from Poland also report on the discovery at "Medieval knight" found buried in Polish city as does CBS at Skeleton of medieval knight found under former ice cream parlor

These discoveries all illustrate the life of elite figures in areas most English speaking people are largely unaware of in the period. Hopefully as such discoveries as they are publicised they will make people more aware of the rich and complex history of the region.

Lancelot in Silesia

A while ago I came upon an article on Medievalists.net about a series of early fourteenth century wall paintings depicting the story of Sir Lancelot in a medieval tower house at Siedleçin in Lower Silesia. Having been whitewashed they were initially rediscovered in the nineteenth century and have gradually been recovered and studied.

 

The Siedlečin Tower was built in 1312-15 by Duke Henry ( Henryk ) I of Jawor and the paintings are thought to be from a few years later. They may represent the influence or interests of his wife, a daughter of the King of Bohemia, whom he married in 1319.

The Medievalists.net account can be seen at Finding Sir Lancelot in Medieval Poland 

Wikipedia has an entry for the building at Siedlęcin Tower

The Tower represents one aspect of the convoluted aristocratic politics of medieval central Europe. In particular it is a section of the story of the fragmentation of Piast authority in the western lands of the Polish kingdom in the extended absence of central royal authority, and the dynastic moves that led towards Bohemian overlordship in 1392. There is an introduction to the region from Wikipedia at Lusatia .

There is a biography on Wikipedia of the builder at Henry I of Jawor and one of his spouse at Agnes of Bohemia, Duchess of Jawor  These biographies, and the links within them, are interesting in exploring the complex of familial ties amongst the aristocratic elites of the region and also by indicating the potential cultural contacts that could have flowed from them. Some aspects of those possibilities were examined in a 2015 guest post on the Edward II blogspot which can be seen at Edward II, Duke Henryk and 14th-Century Murals at Siedlęcin 

Tomb effigies now displayed in the town hall of Lwówek Ślaşki which represent, in all probability, Duke Henryk and his wife Agnes ( Anežka)

Image: Ludwig Schneider/ Edward II Blog

In England virtually the sole surviving example of such domestic paintings are those at Longthorpe Tower, which lies very much in the western suburbs of Peterborough. They also are dated to around 1330 and combine religious and secular themes. As a collection both by date and their nature they are very much a counterpart to those at Siedleçin. There is more information about these paintings and the history of Longthorpe at Longthorpe Tower from English Heritage, at Longthorpe Tower, and from Wikipedia at Longthorpe Tower

The important remains of mid-thirteenth century paintings in what was the refectory of the priory at Horsham St Faith, just north of Norwich, are perhaps comparable in their blending of the sacred and the secular. Painted to tell the story of the establishment of the priory, they depict its foundation after misadventures whilst travelling back from pilgrimage to Rome befell the husband and wife, Robert and Sybil Fitzwilliam. They founded the house in thanksgiving for their safe return. There are images at The Batchelor Collection - Wall Paintings