A team of archeologists recently uncovered a gauntlet from the 14th century during excavations on the grounds of Kyburg Castle near Zurich, Switzerland. The piece of armor, possibly belonging to a knight, was in a rarely-seen well-preserved condition.
While gauntlets have been used by soldiers and knights since the 11th century, it is rare to find those that predate the 15th century, especially in good condition. This is why the canton of Zurich described the discovery as a “sensation in archeology.”
Lorena Burkhardt, one of the archeologists leading the excavation, shared the details about the gauntlet in a video posted on social media.
“Never before has such a well-preserved and complete gauntlet from the 14th century appeared in Switzerland,” it says in the caption of the post. “Who did the gauntlet belong to? Was it newly made in the Kyburg forge or already worn in battle? Cantonal archeology will now investigate such questions.”
Canton of Zurich now plans to display a copy of the gaunt at Kyburg Castle as well as a reconstructed version, which will show how the gauntlet looked when it was in mint condition. The original gauntlet will be subject to tests in the following months before also being put on display at Kyburg Castle for several weeks in September.