Bronze Jewellery @museum.de

F: Who might they have been? How did they live? And more importantly: how did they die?

M: The jewellery in the display case was recovered from various Bronze Age women's graves. So it is more than 3,000 years old. The graves were discovered in the area surrounding Bruchsal, including in Bad Mingolsheim.

F: At the front on the left, you can see four wheel-headed pins with a simple cross and a triangular eyelet. This type of pin was worn by both men and women. Since buttons had not yet been invented, items of clothing such as cloaks had to be fastened or secured using pins like these. Some pins were elaborately decorated.

M: In the centre, you can see two spiral bracelets, called Handberge in German. They consist of a hoop decorated with two bronze spirals wound in opposite directions. The rather odd German name Handberge harks back to a librarian and ancient historian by the name of Hans Rudolf Schröter. He first used the term in 1824. At the time, people were still puzzling over the purpose of these intricately designed pieces. Another ancient historian eventually concluded that this "device only fits on one part of the body", specifically the wrist.

F: The spiral bracelets are thought to have been worn both as jewellery and for protection. The hoops were originally flexible, so they didn't restrict the wearer's movement. At the back of the case on the left, you can see two spiral greaves that were worn to protect the shins.