The Golden Pendant from Sadská – an Early Byzantine Import?

Abstract

The Golden Pendant from Sadská – an Early Byzantine Import?

The golden (80–83 % Au, 19.16–19.93 carats) three-sided pendant, decorated with granulation and filigree work of Early Byzantine origin, was found in 2022 at Sadská (okr. Nymburk/CZ) in the newly discovered Early Medieval settlement with finds mainly from the 8^th century. The pendant consists of 13 main components, 5 filigree wires (3 round-sectioned, 2 beaded) and 174 granules; XRF and SEM/EDS analyses were performed on different components and solder areas. The seams and solder areas are clearly visible, so the manufacture of the pendant can be described in detail. It was most likely a pendant from an earring with a little pyramid pendant of the Deszk type. The best analogies can be found in graves from the second half of the 7^th century from the southeast of the Carpathian Basin and also in graves from the southeast of Ukraine and the Caucasus region, dated from the 6^th century. The pendants are, however, a bit bigger. In terms of the continuity between Late Roman and Byzantine products, Late Roman import cannot be ruled out, although dating to the second half of the 6^th and mainly the 7^th century is more plausible. The pendant represents one of three cases of golden imported finds in Bohemia from the late 6^th and 7^th centuries.