Silvery dawn
The first use of local silver in early Piast coinage (11th–12th century Poland)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24233262 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ewelina Miśta-Jakubowska (0000-0002-0053-8711), Marzena Matla (0000-0002-7711-5426), Dariusz Rozmus (0000-0002-3264-8923), Adam Kędzierski (0000-0002-8762-2608), Bartłomiej Sz Szmoniewski, Renata Czech-Błońska (0000-0002-7043-7246), Władysław Duczko (0000-0001-9037-8944), Aleksandra Pankiewicz (0000-0002-1831-6367), Aneta Gójska (0000-0002-1550-2180), Jakub Karasiński (0000-0003-3143-9131), Klaudia Tetfejer (0009-0008-9325-9738), Wojciech Chudziak (0000-0003-3409-0991), Anna Bogumiła Kowalska (0000-0003-2086-0713), Jacek Bojarski (0000-0002-6001-5410) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 76 |
| Pages | 106113 |
| Publication date | 2026-12-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Archaeological Science Reports (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2352-409X • E-ISSN: 2352-4103 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.106113 |
| OpenAlex | W7221967890 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 35 |
This study investigates whether locally available silver contributed to early Piast coinage through high-resolution lead isotope and elemental analyses of 11th–early 12th-century coins from the Polish lands. The earliest royal issues, including key emissions of Bolesław I the Brave, form an isotopically coherent group consistent with the Pb–Ag ores of the Upper Silesia-Kraków Upland (US). Although these deposits were already known and exploited as a source of lead in earlier periods, the present results provide the earliest well-documented evidence for the contribution of silver isotopically compatible with this ore province to Piast monetary production. Selected later Piast issues show comparable isotopic characteristics, suggesting continuity in the use of this regional bullion source. Individual Bohemian and Hungarian coins show compatible isotopic signatures, suggesting that silver compatible with the US isotopic field also entered wider Central European circulation. In contrast, cross deniers and other contemporary issues reflect mixed bullion pools, including recycled oriental and European silver. Together, these findings indicate that silver isotopically compatible with the US ore province formed an important component of early Piast monetary production within broader regional exchange networks.
Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis · Metallurgy and Cultural Artifacts
Lead Isotopic Characteristics and Metal Sources for the Jewelry in the Medieval Rural Settlements from the Suzdal Region (Kievan Rus’)
Technological Insights into Early Medieval Slavic Lead-Glazed Pottery
A Glazed Easter Egg Rattle from a Grave in the Cemetery in Kołoząb. Technological Features and Lead Provenance
The Origin of Metals from the Roman-Period Levels of a Site in Southern Poland
Origin and Production of Silver in Early Medieval Poland
Bismuth behaviour during ancient processes of silver–lead production
Copper-alloy belt fittings and elite networking in Early Medieval Central Europe
Slag remains from the Na Slupi site (Prague, Czech Republic)
Multi-Period Ore Exploitation in Upper Silesia, Central Europe
International Trade in Outland Resources
Silver recycling in the Viking Age
Origins of medieval lead glass ornaments in Central Europe in the light of lead isotopic analysis of finds from Wrocław and Sypniewo (Poland)
Archaeometric studies on early medieval silver jewellery from Central and Eastern Europe
Tracing the origins
Lead isotope ratios and the provenance of medieval silver
The early medieval origins of copper ore extraction in the Carpathian Mountains
Mutable objects, places and chronologies
Sources of early Islamic silver
| Highly cited | No |
|---|