Fragment of approx. ¾ of a large oval splash ingot of silver

Splash ingots of raw silver are common in 10th- and 11th-century hoards, particularly frequent between the 2nd half of the 10th century and around the mid-11th century. They are most often shaped like an elongated oval and are usually divided into small pieces. They were cast without a mould, probably by pouring silver into small depressions in the sand. The largest whole splash ingots reach about 140 g in weight. The ingot from the hoard near Małkowice is one of the largest specimens discovered in Poland and originally weighed about 140 g.