Ottoman Period (15th–17th c.) Locking Devices from the Archaeological Investigations at Tsarevets in Veliko Tarnovo

Abstract

Based on 111 finds (padlocks and keys) unearthed on Tsarevets Hill (1969–1986), this study reviews portable locking devices from the Ottoman period (15th–17th c.), mainly linked to household protection on the hill’s western slope, with additional pieces from the Main Gate and Baldwin’s Tower areas. The typology distinguishes two main classes – padlocks and keys – and two mechanisms: turning and sliding, further divided by body shape, shackle layout, and key/ward design. Turning padlocks (round, oval, square, or cylindrical) use spring-loaded mechanisms actuated through central keyholes; sliding ones (mostly cylindrical) employ arrow-shaped bolts released by flat, profiled keys. Keys reflect this split: forged, ring-bowed turning keys versus sheet-made sliding keys with articulated bits. Chronology and parallels from Hungary, Poland, Romania Serbia, Croatia, Moldova, Russia, and Iran reveal wide distribution and longevity, with some forms surviving into the 18th–20th c. AD The assemblage shows a preference for complex spring-based turning locks, though a third remain archaic sliding types – evidence of slow technological change in the Ottoman context. Interpretation is limited by inventory-only documentation and the lack of Bulgarian publications, highlighting the need for well-dated, illustrated assemblages to refine manufacturing and provenance studies.