Germanic prince from Matejovce part 1
It's September 2005. Construction machines got silent, workers are lingering around a hole in the ground, and an archaeologist on site is making calls. They just unearthed some pieces of wood. Nobody at the construction site in Matejovce, Poprad, Slovakia, knows yet that they made an amazing discovery. Let's delve into the details of this remarkable find!
Rich Grave Goods and Robbery
The ingeniously constructed tomb unearthed in Matejovce contained an early migration period princely burial, once accompanied by rich grave goods. It was quickly discovered that the tomb had been robbed maybe a decade or two after the last farewell took place. Robbers even left some of their tools behind – well-preserved shovels and a heavy axe. Ironically, thanks to grave robbers, the chamber was filled with rainwater, which inadvertently helped preserve remaining wooden furniture and some small pieces of beautiful Roman-style textiles.
Textile Discoveries
Among the artifacts found in the tomb were pieces of a tapestry in black, red, and other light colors. Traces of red dye were also identified on the remains of man's clothing, adorned with gold thread embroidery. The analysis of his bones revealed that the Germanic prince was in his 20's when he died of hepatitis and interestigly enough, he spent a significant part of his life in Mediterranean. That explains the strong presence of Roman fashion in his tomb.
According to experts, the textiles found in the tomb were the least preserved organic materials. However, it was still possible to identify different weave types such as tabby and twill. Fragments of a tablet-woven textile were also discovered, shedding light on the intricate craftsmanship of the era.
The tablet woven band
''Fragments of a tablet-woven textile were examined on plank R174 laying on the floor of the grave. It was made with ca. nine four-holed tablets with 3S-3Z-3S threading,'' says the paper I read before I went to the museum in person in September 2024. This was the item I was most excited to see.
To my disappointment, this artifact was not on display. Moreover, I was not really happy to see kivrim pattern (Ottoman empire) and stylised Birka B6 (Viking age) on the reconstructed garment, which also included some ''reenactorisms'', like overly long belt and oddly pinned cloak that dusts the floor like bride's trail.
After finishing the museum tour, I brought up the subject cautiously when talking to the two young ladies at the reception. When leaving the museum, I had this idea already in my head - I must find more details on the tablet woven band and give it a chance.
(wait for part 2)
Sources:
Štolcová, T. – Zink, G. 2013: Early Migration Period Textile and Leather Finds from the Chieftain’s Grave in Poprad-Matejovce: Discovery, Retrieval and New Results of the Laboratory Examination.
Štolcová, T. – Pieta, K. 2023: Knieza z Popradu a jeho hrobka.