Goldschale von Krottorf, Bronze Age gold cup in Krottorf, Germany
The Goldschale von Krottorf is a cast drinking vessel made from pure gold with seven running decorative ridges and a stemmed base. The roughly palm-sized object retains the form of a shallow bowl-like container whose walls were carefully crafted.
The vessel dates to the Middle Bronze Age and was made around the 14th century BCE in Central Europe. Its creation shows that gold working was already an established craft in this distant period.
The cup demonstrates the skilled metalworking of its time through thin-walled gold construction with incised patterns. Visitors can see in its workmanship how carefully ancient craftspeople handled precious metal.
The vessel can be seen at the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle and is displayed as part of the archaeological collection. The museum's location provides regular hours of access to this precious artifact.
After its excavation in 1909, the precious piece was initially discarded on a manure pile and could have been lost there. An attentive pastor rescued it from permanent loss and thereby secured a valuable treasure for posterity.
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