Wczesnośredniowieczne bursztynowe krzyżyki z terenu Pomorza na tle porównawczym. Materiały i problemy interpretacyjne

Abstract

This paper presents early medieval amber cross pendants that display a great degree of diversity not only concerning form and morphology but also with regard to chronology and – as we assume – functionality, with the pendants examined herein sharing one common denominator: the raw material from which are made. This paper analyses amber artefacts discovered in Pomerania, shown in a broad comparative context. Thus, the research objectives undertaken are twofold: first, to present the sources of the relevant materials, which are formally, chronologically, and contextually diverse, and second, to point out the main interpretative problems relating to the possibility of deciphering their original meanings and functions.

Keywords

• early medieval archaeology
• crosses
• amber
• Pomerania
• Central and North Europe
• Christianization