Kuyavian bronzes or Stanomin-style dress accessories – studies on the chronology of the early Iron Age in Central Europe

Abstract More than sixty years ago, J. Kostrzewski published a paper titled Ze studiów nad wczesnym okresem żelaznym w Polsce (Studies on the early Iron Age in Poland; in the German version Studien über die ältere Eisenzeit in Polen). The article was a product of his long-time research, readings and searches conducted during the turbulent first half of the 20th century. Kostrzewski’s work is still one of Poland’s basic chronological studies of the HaC and HaD. The text contained a substantial analysis of the “Kuyavian bronzes”, also called the “Stanomin-style” dress accessories, named after the hoard from Stanomin. New finds, as well as 14C and dendrochronological datings, significantly changed our understanding of the cultural processes in Poland’s early Iron Age. The dating of the “Kuyavian bronzes” and the interpretation of the associated phenomena have never been the subject of a comprehensive study. The following text shall focus on this specific category of metal artefacts – crucial for understanding the chronological variation of the Polish early Iron Age.