Swiss archaeologists piece together 14th-century gauntlet

Baudirektion

Excavations in Kyburg in canton Zurich have uncovered a 14th-century armour glove in exceptional condition.

To date, only five gauntlets dating from the 14th century have been discovered in Switzerland, according to the Zurich cantonal infrastructure department on Tuesday. However, their state of preservation is nowhere near that of the glove found in Kyburg.

During the winter of 2021/22, the archaeologists found all the iron parts. Some of the fingers had completely escaped corrosion enabling specialists to recognise a particularly high number of manufacturing and decorative details.

The metal parts of the glove were originally riveted to a leather glove. The 25 pieces were also firmly attached to each other, giving the glove great flexibility.

A copy of this armour glove will be on display at Kyburg Castle from the end of March as part of its permanent exhibition, complemented by a reconstruction of the rest of the armour. The original will be on display for three weeks in September.

Weaving cellar and forge on site

Archaeological excavations were carried out on the site of a new house being built in the village of Kyburg. They uncovered a medieval weaving cellar that had been destroyed by fire in the 14th century. A blacksmith probably worked in the immediate vicinity, as the archaeologists also found a mould, around 50 metal objects such as hammers, keys, projectile points and the armour glove in question.

It is not yet known who the glove belonged to, or why this type of object is so rarely found. Scientific work must now establish whether armour gloves were so rare at the time or whether they were melted down.

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