Ein ungewöhnlicher salierzeitlicher Bernsteinfingerring aus Bissendorf (Lkr. Osnabrück) – Einblicke in die Fernhandelskontakte des Hochmittelalters

Abstract

An unusual amber fingerring from the Salian period found at Bissendorf (Lkr. Osnabrück) – insights into long-distance contacts of the High Middle Ages

The amber fingering from a stone-footed building of the 11th century at Bissendorf in Lower Saxony is unique within the medieval find record of Northwestern Europe. Fourier-transform-infrared-spectroscopy classified the material as Baltic amber. Amber fingerrings occur from the late 10th to the 12th century, perhaps even until the 13th century and thus date the peak of amber processing in the Baltic region to the 11th and 12th centuries. They are exclusively known from settlement contexts; their production within the context of a specialised craft is testified to for the Polish workshops of Opole-Ostrówek and Gdánsk. The shape of the amber fingerrings follows late Roman-early medieval signet rings which were adapted in the Slavic area with the beginning of Christianisation. Unlike their Christian pedecessors, they do not have inscriptions or crucifix symbols, but are decorated only sporadically with apotropaic ornaments. The luxurious finds from the late Ottonian-Salian period house at Bissendorf which also include several gold objects, bear witness of both the desire for representation and the far-reaching commercial relations of the aristocratic upperclass at Bissendorf.