XVI International Numismatic Congress

Silver ingot from Chełm (13th century). Preliminary report

13 Sept 2022, 18:00

20m

Auditorium Maximum - Hall D

oral presentation S70. MIDDLE AGES 8. 12TH-13TH CENTURIES, EASTERN EUROPE

Speakers

Marcin Wołoszyn (Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe (GWZO), Leipzig, Germany // Institute of Archaeology, University of Rzeszów, Poland) Stephen William Merkel Tomasz Dzieńkowski

Description

One of the most intriguing problems in East European medieval numismatics is the cessation of minting around mid-11th century, followed by a coinless period which lasted until the second half of 14th century. One form of commodity money in use at the time was the grivna. Several types of these silver standard payment ingots are distinguished depending on their shape and weight.
In Poland the first silver payment ingot came to light in 2016. This Kiev-type grivna was excavated by archaeologists in Chełm on the site of the residence of Prince/King Daniel Romanovich (phase I; rubble of building D1). The time of the construction of building D and D1 was apparently in the 1230s-50s (TL dating of bricks).
Future analysis of the material of the grivna found in Chełm (including Lead Isotope Analyses [S. Merkel]) is expected to shed light on the source of this silver.