Medieval Material and Technological Experiment in the Construction of King Daniel Romanovich’s Residence in Cholm

Abstract

Materials obtained during archaeological excavations on Wysoka Gorka in Cholm (today Chełm in Poland), in the area of king Daniel’s 13th century residential complex, have been subject to examination. They come in the forms of bricks and glazed tiles, as well as sizeable shapeless and purposeless accumulations indicating post-manufacturing remains. The materials are white, green and multi-colored. They refer to Halytsian alabasters and green glauconite from Cholm which were originally used there. The examination of white materials was performed. They were diagnosed by means of SEM microscope and X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, a micro area chemical analysis was conducted by means of SEM microscope with EDS module. The conducted examination indicated that the materials in question were manufactured using other than ceramic technologies, but similar to the ones used to produce silicate materials nowadays. As raw materials, chalk and biogenic silica obtained from a horsetail were used. The petrification procedure was conducted in hydrothermal conditions. As a result a material structurally similar to marble was obtained. The successful production of the materials translated into possibility of the implementation of the ideological assumptions of the structures having been constructed under the explicit influence of the style of the 13th century Tuscany School.