Grapen luttick und grodt. Production and Use of Bronze Three-Legged Cauldrons, or Grapens, in the Baltic Sea Region in the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Times – Example of Western Pomerania

Abstract

This article discusses the latest archaeological research into the casting and marking of bronze three-legged cauldrons (Grapens) in the Baltic Sea Region. It offers a detailed analysis of production centres in Western Pomerania, which have not as of yet been the subject of interest of a wide circle of scholars, and presents the results of recent archaeological excavations in Stargard that revealed further workshops specializing in the production of cauldrons. Their functioning was associated with two Grapengiessers, Jochim and Jacob Ingerman, who were active in the first half of the 16th century. Moreover, the article also deals with the activity of other founders in relation to other centres in the Baltic Sea Region on the basis of historical sources and bells which have survived down to our times.