Crossbow Part Finds from the Territory of Mazovia and Dobrzyń Land

The article discusses crossbow finds from the territory of historical Mazovia and Dobrzyń Land. These finds are mainly pieces of spanning devices and triggers. In the latter category we have a lever from the stronghold (motte) in Lekarcice Nowe as well as a few bone and antler nuts from strongholds in Czersk, Pułtusk, Warsaw, and Wizna. Included among the parts of spanning devices there is a mechanism from the castle in Liw. Furthermore, spanning stirrups have been recovered from strongholds on the Vistula river in Bobrowniki and Dobrzyń. The find from Liw merits special attention. This spanning device is of the band-and-belt type, which rarely occurs in East-Central Europe. Furthermore, the bow of the stirrup from Dobrzyń is provided with a broad foot plate with an asymmetrical rib. Such a construction was of significance for spanning the crossbow. The artefacts from Mazovia and Dobrzyń Land are dated from the 2nd half of the 13th to the 15th century.