stories from the mounds
The mounds have preserved Frisian history for us. They are the treasuries of ancient Frisia. Even now, artefacts are regularly found. Because of these discoveries, we know that between the Roman period and the year 1000, Frisia was one of the wealthiest areas of the Netherlands. The quantities of gold found during excavations of mounds and elsewhere in the province, including by metal detectorists, confirm this. Behind every pendant, coin or sword pommel lays a remarkable story. And of course, gold testifies to wealth and prestige. Whoever possessed gold had power. Important warriors impressed their opponents with their highly embellished pommels and kings wore the finest rings Gold - found treasures from the middle ages recounts these remarkable stories about Frisia’s gold.
treasures
The Wijnaldum fibula – or brooch – is a highlight from the Fries Museum’s collection. It dates from around 600 AD and is an icon of Frisian archaeology. It is the largest garnet-inlaid piece of jewellery from early medieval Netherlands and perhaps Europe. The fibula is inlaid with over 300 brilliant red garnets, or almandines. Recent research showed that these almandines came all the way from India. The decorations on the brooch convey all kinds of symbolic meanings and clues to mythological stories. In 2014 the museum acquired a buckle tongue shield that was excavated from the same Frisian mound, and it is now being exhibited for the first time. The decorations on so-called bracteates (thin gold pendants) from Achlum show that goldsmiths worked in an identifiable Frisian style. The Dronrijp hoard has a prominent place in the exhibition too. It consists of parts of a buckle, a small gold bar, a pendant, grains of gold and 42 coins.
loans
Normally exhibited in the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, the Wieuwerd hoard has come to the Fries Museum especially for the Gold exhibition. The largest gold treasure of the Northern Netherlands is temporarily back on Frisian soil. It consists of a total of 220 grams of gold in 39 gold objects, including three rings, several pendants and a base plate for a fibula. Thirteen precious Anglo-Saxon objects from Norwich Castle Museum have also made the crossing to Friesland. The objects, which include bracteates (thin gold pendants) and fibulas, illustrate the relations between England and Friesland in the early Middle Ages. They are part of the subject ‘Friesland in the world’ within the exhibition. Furthermore there are special loans from the Groninger Museum, Northern Archaeological Depot Nuis and objects found by treasure hunters in the exhibition.
research
The gold objects in the Dronrijp hoard were investigated in the run-up to the exhibition. The National Aerospace Laboratory allowed the Museum to conduct research with their new electron microscope. During the tests, the exact composition of these objects was examined and compared to other gold objects. Because the fragmented buckle was buried along with a small gold bar, gold beads and coins, we think this could be a goldsmith’s stock of gold. Perhaps the gold bars and grains were even made from parts cut off the buckle. Whether this is really so will be examined next time.
facial reconstruction for the tree trunk lady
The excavations of the mounds uncovered more than gold. One of the most exciting discoveries is the tomb of a woman from the 7th century. She was buried in the trunk of a hollow oak tree in the highest mound in Friesland: Hogebeintum. This tree trunk lady, who lived during the period the gold was buried in the mounds, has been given a face especially for Gold. The result is presented together with her skeleton in a space parallel to the Gold exhibition.
The exhibition Gold - found treasures from the middle ages was made possible with financial support from BankGiro Loterij, Stichting Woudsend Anno 1816, Het Nieuwe Stads Weeshuis, St. Anthony Gasthuis, Fonds Bolsward-Dronrijp 1993, Van Heloma Stichting, P.W. Janssen’s Friesche Stichting and Stichting Ritske Boelema Gasthuis.
The facial reconstruction was made possible with financial support from the Friends of the Fries Museum. The National Aerospace Laboratory sponsored the investigation into the treasure of Dronrijp. The loan from Norwich Castle Museum is made possible by the Corporate Friends of the Fries Museum.
The Fries Museum is co-funded by the Ir. Abe Bonnema Foundation, Friesland Province, the Northern Netherlands, EZ / Kompas and BankGiro Lottery.
