Forging techniques involving the use of forming swages in ancient barbarian jewellery: an example of silver shield-headed bracelets from Weklice, Northern Poland

This article discusses the technology behind the manufacturing of the late forms of silver shield-headed bracelets based on finds from a Wielbark culture cemetery from Roman Period located at Weklice in the district of Elbląg (N Poland). The study presents the chemical composition of the bracelets complete with the physical and chemical properties of the raw material and attempts to identify the origin of the material. Based on written and archaeological sources, the authors discuss goldsmithing techniques used in the production of those types of bracelets and reconstruct the manufacturing process using replicas of tools known from archaeological sources. The authors also describe the specialised goldsmithing workshops of the Wielbark culture concentrated around Lake Drużno at a time when the lake was still a bay on the Vistula Lagoon.