A staggering 600-year-old amethyst ornament has been discovered from a medieval castle's moat in Poland.
The precious jewellery is believed to have belonged to a medieval aristocrat and was crafted from fire-gilded silver.
Archaeologist at the University of Wrocław in Poland, Lech Marek, said: "I believe the item was originally part of a brooch or, less likely, a coronet or a crown, which makes it so unique in a medieval settlement context."
Speaking to Live Science, Marek and his team began archaeological work in 2010 on the Castle Kolno site, which was burned and destroyed in 1442, during the civil wars in Silesia.
Lech Marek
|Archaeologist Lech Marek has been working on the site with his team since 2010
The fortress was established in the early 1200s, functioning as both a ducal residence and a toll station for timber shipments.
Duke Bolesław III of Brzeg, the initial proprietor, later transferred ownership to affluent knights.
The team uncovered artefacts from the 1300s and 1400s, including weaponry, equestrian equipment, and pottery that were characteristic of that era.
Researchers used Raman spectroscopy, which bombards materials with laser light to identify molecular structures, confirming the gem as amethyst.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The X-ray fluorescence testing showed the metalwork consisted of silver treated with fire-gilding.
The process required substantial mercury quantities to uncover the metalwork.
Marek explained: "Because of their symbolic meaning, availability and aesthetic qualities, amethysts were popular in the medieval period.
"In the sophisticated medieval play of symbols, the choice of gems for jewellery always had a deeper reason. If a jewel was believed to be charged with supernatural powers, its value increased rapidly."
Lech Marek
|The team has uncovered artefacts from the 1300s and 1400s
People believed amethysts could shield against drunkenness, poison, nightmares, betrayal, deception, imprisonment, vision loss, sorcery and suffocation.
The identity of the jewel's owner remains unknown, though their noble standing is certain.
Comparable gems in matching settings appear on elite jewellery from the period, Marek noted.
Whilst such precious items typically surface in aristocratic tombs or deliberately concealed hoards, this piece was apparently dropped during ordinary travel.