The permanent exhibition “Relics from the Battle of Kulikovo” features a curved object — a fire striker, an iron tool used in firemaking. The fire striker has a concave outer edge tapering towards the serpentine ends. The handles make a series of curves towards the middle of the fire striker and end in loops.
The fire striker was uncovered in 2013 in excavations conducted by the State Historical Museum and the State Museum-Reserve “Kulikovo Field” in the upper reaches of the Smolka River, on the northern outskirts of the Khvorostyanka village, Kurkinsky District, Tula Oblast, on site No. 22, grid 3, square 4.
This C-shaped exhibit has curved ends and one edge without a high (triangular or rounded) middle part. The fire striker from the battlefield has a remarkably intricate handle design. This type was most common from the 12th to the 14th centuries. Similar items have been found across the territory of Old Rus, Volga Bulgaria, East European steppe, Northern and Central Europe, and to the east of the Urals.
Fire strikers became an integral part of medieval cities across Europe and Asia. The shape of the tool varied over the centuries ranging from a more elaborate C-shaped design to a more plain, oval one. It was not uncommon to commission fire strikers decorated with carvings and cut patterns.
To ignite tinder using a fire striker one should: 1) lay tinder; 2) hold the flint next to the tinder with one hand (at a 3- to 5-mm distance), and press the fire striker to the flint with the other hand; 3) slide the fire striker down against the flint to cast a shower of yellow and orange sparks that ignite the tinder. Air is gently wafted over the glowing tinder, and if the tinder is right it easily bursts into flame. Dry moss, tree bark, grass, wood shavings, and cloth can be used as tinder. The flint should be harder than the material used to make the fire striker, and it should be the right shape and size to provide a good grip. Sharp-edged flints generate more sparks by shaving off small particles of metal.
The fire striker was uncovered in 2013 in excavations conducted by the State Historical Museum and the State Museum-Reserve “Kulikovo Field” in the upper reaches of the Smolka River, on the northern outskirts of the Khvorostyanka village, Kurkinsky District, Tula Oblast, on site No. 22, grid 3, square 4.
This C-shaped exhibit has curved ends and one edge without a high (triangular or rounded) middle part. The fire striker from the battlefield has a remarkably intricate handle design. This type was most common from the 12th to the 14th centuries. Similar items have been found across the territory of Old Rus, Volga Bulgaria, East European steppe, Northern and Central Europe, and to the east of the Urals.
Fire strikers became an integral part of medieval cities across Europe and Asia. The shape of the tool varied over the centuries ranging from a more elaborate C-shaped design to a more plain, oval one. It was not uncommon to commission fire strikers decorated with carvings and cut patterns.
To ignite tinder using a fire striker one should: 1) lay tinder; 2) hold the flint next to the tinder with one hand (at a 3- to 5-mm distance), and press the fire striker to the flint with the other hand; 3) slide the fire striker down against the flint to cast a shower of yellow and orange sparks that ignite the tinder. Air is gently wafted over the glowing tinder, and if the tinder is right it easily bursts into flame. Dry moss, tree bark, grass, wood shavings, and cloth can be used as tinder. The flint should be harder than the material used to make the fire striker, and it should be the right shape and size to provide a good grip. Sharp-edged flints generate more sparks by shaving off small particles of metal.
