Archaeologists find 1,000-year-old Christian jewellery mould
The mould is just 9 centimetres long.
Archäologischer Dienst Graubünden
An archaeological dig beside a former prison in the southeast Swiss canton of Graubünden has unearthed a 1,000-year-old mould that was used to forge Christian-themed jewellery.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/dos
Español
es
Arqueólogos hallan un molde de joyas cristianas milenario
The concrete mould, which measures 9 x 8.5 x 3 centimetres, would have been used to forge up to seven different types of objects including earrings and a crucifix.
Experts from Graubünden’s archaeological services said on Tuesday that they reckoned the object dated from sometime between the 9th and 11th centuries.
The find is a rare one not only in canton Graubünden, but across the whole of Switzerland; such objects had previously been found only in Bern, Basel, and Winterthur.
Archaeologists have been digging since March in the area in and around the recently shut down Sennhof prison, and have come across what they describe as a small artisanal district dating from the Middle Ages.
The dig will continue into the autumn. In the meantime, more research will be done to ascertain the nature of the cast found on Tuesday.
Popular Stories
More
Culture
Documentary portrays Swiss teenagers forced to return to parents’ homeland
Switzerland condemned for deciding to deport gay Iranian
This content was published on
Switzerland violated the prohibition on inhuman treatment by considering that a gay Iranian could be returned to his country.
Gestational diabetes found to increase risk of adult-onset diabetes
This content was published on
A research team from the Lake Geneva region has identified persistent dysfunctions in glucose regulation in women with gestational diabetes. In the long term, this can increase the risk of adult-onset diabetes by up to ten times.
Swiss village must be evacuated by midday on Sunday
This content was published on
The village of Brienz-Brinzauls in eastern Switzerland, which is threatened by a rockfall, must be evacuated by 1pm on Sunday. All residents must leave the village.
This content was published on
A former judge of the Graubünden Administrative Court in eastern Switzerland has been found guilty of rape, sexual harassment and threatening a former trainee.
Costs and care time increase in Swiss retirement and nursing homes
This content was published on
In 2023 the costs of retirement and nursing homes increased by 5% compared to 2022 and those of assistance and care at home by 7%. Together, they amounted to CHF15 billion.
This content was published on
Almost half of the population in Switzerland shows clear to pronounced signs of smartphone addiction, according to a survey.
Swiss healthcare stakeholders want to save CHF300 million
This content was published on
The main players in the Swiss healthcare sector want to save around CHF300 million ($340 million) in healthcare costs a year from 2026.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.