Ewolucja łyżew – od form kościanych do żelaznych

Early medieval and late medieval skates belong to a category of archaeological material that deals with issues such as craft, communication, the relationship between humans and the environment, and which requires interdisciplinary research. The article discusses their form, function, chronology, where they appeared and methods of the research. It has been argued that, like bone specimens which are frequently found in early medieval strongholds, there should be remains of iron skates in location towns of the late Middle Ages. Although they have not been discovered in Poland yet, thanks to material found in Dutch cities, written sources and iconography, some attempts can be made to describe them. A suggestion on the cultural context and the time when the concept was changed (from bone to iron) is based on commentaries on the Life of St Lidwina of Schiedam and an illustration from this source which is the oldest depiction of iron skates. The identifying of iron footwear fittings as skates in archaeological sources from Poland would allow to recognize them as an indicator of sociotopography in location towns.