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Epochal handshake
Two hands, two eras: the new EUROPA stamps feature sensational archaeological finds from the Bronze Age and late Middle Ages.
National archaeological discoveries is the theme chosen by PostEurop for this year’s EUROPA stamps. The Swiss issue features a bronze hand and a gauntlet: two rare finds that symbolically bridge their age gap of around 2,700 years with a handshake. To develop the stamp, Swiss Post worked hand in hand with the Department of Archaeology and Monument Preservation of the Canton of Zurich and the Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern, who provided images of the original finds as a basis.
Kyburg gauntlet
At the beginning of last year, the Canton of Zurich announced a sensational discovery near Kyburg Castle: during an excavation, employees of the cantonal archaeology department found all of the iron components of a gauntlet that was part of a 14th century suit of armour. “Previously, only parts of five other gauntlets dating from this period had been found in Switzerland. None of them was anywhere near as well preserved,” explains Lorena Burkhardt, Project Manager at Zurich cantonal archaeology.
The Kyburg gauntlet has numerous details suggesting how it was made: “It is a full-fingered glove for the right hand, with the individual iron plates layered on top of each other like scales and connected to each other with rivets on the sides to allow movement.” Whose hand the relic once protected remains unclear. The original is housed in the air-conditioned room at Zurich cantonal archaeology, where the conditions for preserving this valuable object are ideal. A copy of the gauntlet is on show in the permanent exhibition at Kyburg Castle.
