The gold treasure from Sannicolau Mare

The gold treasure from Sännicolau Mare (Hungarian: Nagyszentmiklös) is one of the most magnificent archaeological complexes from the Early Medieval period in the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna). lt was found in 1799 in the present-day Romanian Banat (then in the Hungarian part of the Empire) and consists of 23 vessels made of pure gold, with a total weight of about 10 kg. Most of the vessels are of the very highest technical standard and richly decorated, some of them have different types of inscriptions. Traces of re-working and later additions suggest that some of the vessels were used for a long time. The historical interpretation of the treasure is still highly controversial. Presumably, it is a Small part o Avar royal hoard, the largest part of which was brought into the Frankish Empire after Charlemagne`s Avar wars. This, however, does not necessarily imply that the Sännicolau Mare treasure was buried in course of the Avar wars - this could also have taken place later. The motifs used in decorating the vessels from the Sännicolau Mare (Nagyszentmiklös) treasure attest numerous cultural influences and demonstrate the kind of imagery and symbolism which was known and used for representation at the court of the former owner. The techniques used in making the vessels are evidence for the high standard of the goldsmiths who produced the treasure. As part of the previous project an this subject (P 10256-HIS; coordinated by DI DDr. Peter Stadler), approximately half of the treasure from Sännicolau Mare (Nagyszentmiklös) was examined in detail with regard to metalworking techniques as well as metallography and also documented extensively, both graphically and photographically. The aim of the project proposed here is to complete the research an metalworking techniques. For this purpose, we intend to use a Scanning Electron Microscope in order to facilitate the non-destructive documentation and chemical analysis of tiny details. This will include measuring and comparing tool-marks of microscopic size, in order to be able to distinguish the work of the different artists involved in producing the vessels. Subsequently, extensive culture-historical research will take place, with the participation of a number of international experts who will study various aspects of the treasure. We intend to publish the results as a monograph, comprising two volumes: The first volume will contain the complete documentation of the gold vessels from the Sännicolau Mare (Nagyszentmiklös) treasure, as a basis for the various culture-historical essays in the second volume.