MATERIALS AND ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS FROM NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL STONE OF KING DANIEL ROMANOVICH’S 13th CENTURY RESIDENCE IN CHOLM

Abstract

Materials obtained during archaeological excavations on the place of castle in the city of Cholm (today Chełm in Poland), in the area of king Daniel’s 13th century residential complex, have been subject to examination. They are in the forms of bricks and glazed tiles, as well as sizeable shapeless and purposeless accumulations indicating post-manufacturing remains. The materials are white, green and multicolored. They refer to Halychian alabasters and green glaukonitite from Cholm, which were originally used there. The examination of white materials was performed. The conducted examination indicated that the materials in question were manufactured using other than ceramic technologies, but similar to the ones used to produce silicate materials nowadays. As raw materials, chalk and biogenic silica obtained from a horsetail were used. The petrification procedure was conducted in hydrothermal conditions. As a result a material structurally similar to marble was obtained.