The question is on dies as highlighted in this sentence from Amerika (Der Verschollene) by Franz Kafka.
Beim Hervorsuchen einiger Gegenstände, die zuunterst lagen – es waren dies eine Taschenbibel, Briefpapier und die Photographien der Eltern –, fiel ihm die Mütze vom Kopf und in den Koffer.
QUESTION
Which part of speech (e.g. pronoun, adverb) is dies?
What does it mean in the context of the sentence?
BACKGROUND
I know that dies could be a determiner of a noun to follow or a (self-standing) pronoun referring to a neuter noun or some foregoing clause (fact, idea).
It seems clear that dies is not a determiner of Taschenbibel.
Could it be that dies is apposite to the list that follows, i.e. eine Taschenbibel, Briefpapier und die Photographien der Eltern?
If so the clause might be:
there were these things, a pocket bible...