Some 150 decorative bronze pieces of a 2,500-year-old horse’s bridle were discovered in north-central Poland. The pieces form a nearly-complete bridle with only the bit missing. Reconstructed it is reminiscent those made by the Scythians living to the north at the time suggesting cultural exchange and influence.
The bronze pieces had been wrapped in leaves and placed in a leather bag alongside a locally-made axe. The bag was then buried on a sandy hillside by Poland’s largest river. It was probably intended to be re-collected then melted down to form something new; luckily for archaeologists the would-be smith never came back for his hoard.
