At a recent press conference, the Canton of Zurich presented an exciting find – an intact medieval glove dating back to the 14th century. It was discovered during excavations southeast of Kiburg Castle, Switzerland,writes HeritageDaily.
Kieburg Castle, also known as Chuigeburch (meaning “cow castle”), is an important historical site. Today, it is one of the largest medieval castle complexes in Switzerland, including a large hall, a corner tower, a chapel and three stone houses.
Archaeologists made the discovery near the castle while exploring a medieval weaving cellar destroyed by fire in the 14th century. In addition, evidence of blacksmithing was found, including a mold and more than 50 metal objects related to blacksmithing activities.
Among these finds were a hammer, tweezers, forceps, keys, knives, points, and a fully preserved 14th-century mitten, in addition to fragments of its counterpart worn on the other hand.
If we describe the intact mitten, it is a four-fingered artifact designed for the right hand. It consists of individual iron plates fastened together in the form of scales and connected by side rivets.
Individual fragments of the glove were attached to the inside with additional rivets on a leather or textile base, which was sewn to the fabric accordingly.
According to the press release: “Previously known mittens from museums and collections mostly date from the fifteenth century at the earliest. Older examples from the fourteenth century, however, are extremely rare. So far, only five other gloves from this period have been found during archaeological excavations in Switzerland, although none of them are as well preserved and lack as many design and decoration details as the Kiburg glove.”
This discovery sheds light on the material culture of medieval Kiburgh and provides valuable information about the craft and daily life of the people who once inhabited the area. The mitten, along with other artifacts, offers a tangible connection to a bygone era.
