This article concerns enigmatic artifacts, which have been found in the central part of historic ... more This article concerns enigmatic artifacts, which have been found in the central part of historic Lesser Poland (Małopolska) throughout the last decade. They were made of bronze alloy and have a flat, circular (annular) shape with large, mostly regular, round hole in a central part. All of them are ornamented with multiple smaller, concentric circles. So far 78 such items, preserved mostly in pieces, have been registered. Currently, due to the discovery context of these finds it is hard to determine their chronology and cultural context. It is possible, however, concerning their presence in a specific area, that those artifacts were once elements of a regional outfit, probably medieval / post-medieval/ modern. One should also note that in many cases those artifacts were discovered in the context of military finds, such as spurs. The authors’ goal is to draw researchers’ attention to such items.
Site 3 in Zagórzyce is located on a slope to the east of Sites 1, 2 and 4 on the opposite side of... more Site 3 in Zagórzyce is located on a slope to the east of Sites 1, 2 and 4 on the opposite side of a small watercourse and is directly related to them, forming a Zagórzyce settlement microregion od Przeworsk culture. Contrary to Site 1, dated to a narrow period between the late Phase B2 of the Early Roman Period and the early Phase C1 of the Younger Roman Period, Site 3 has later chronological position, dated to Phases C2–D. In the results of rescue excavations in 2008, a well preserved pottery kiln with remarkable cross structure inside the firing chamber and an accompanying pit were discovered. In their fills and in their closest vicinity, about 4.900 fragments of pottery were found. Nearly all of them represent wheel made pottery, the so-called grey ware pottery, almost entirely with smooth surfaces. This small local pottery workshop provided a coherent and stylistically unified set of pottery. The paper focuses on presenting the preliminary results of rescue excavations at Site 3 in Zagórzyce, especially concerning the pottery kiln, as well as the pottery workshop itself in the context of local settlement situation of Przeworsk Culture in late antique.
The excavations on Site 2 in Jadowniki Mokre „Wilczy Grunt” were carried out in 2007, 2008 and 20... more The excavations on Site 2 in Jadowniki Mokre „Wilczy Grunt” were carried out in 2007, 2008 and 2019. They were limited to short term research actions, connected with field survey of the site. By now, an area of 1,25 are has been examined through excavations. There were discovered 7 certain and 2 further, alleged grave features, tied to Przeworsk Culture’s cemetery. During the aforementioned excavation seasons, research was focused on eastern part of an area, adjacent to illegal sandpits located on the site. Graves discovered during excavations were of varying degrees of preservation. Features 1/2007, 2/2008, 3/2019 and 6/2019 can be described as well-preserved. Three further burials, i.e. 1/2019, 2/2019 and 5/2019 are objects with a significant degree of damage. Thanks to the application od 3D tracking of artifacts in the field, it was possible to make a draft reconstruction of two further burials. For the purpose of this paper, they were defined as features 3a/2008 and 4a/2008 (Fig. 3). Numerous burials had been damaged due to illegal exploration of sand, present in this area. Without doubt, nearby trees from the forest in this area of Jadowniki Mokre also have influence on the features’ state of preservation. Generally, it can be assumed, that the graves and discovered artifacts are characteristic of Przeworsk Culture. On the site elements of outfit were were discovered: fibulae, elements of belts and weapons, as well as numerous ceramic materials, including pottery fragments from heavy deformed and broken vessels. It should be noted, that there were also found a few fragments of bronze vessels. All aforementioned features could be dated to Early Roman Period, and in one case, that is feature 1/2019, its chronology can be determined to phase C1a of Younger Roman Period. Describing the results of the research on Site 2 in Jadowniki Mokre it should be noted, that the intention of this paper is to highlight the discoveries in the literature of the subject only. Since the excavation on the site were resumed, the authors have intended to publish the results, considering it necessary. The archaeological materials found on the Site seem to be so important, that they deserve publication and, therefore, making this preliminary results available to the widest possible audience. Moreover, it should be noted, that possible further, more detailed analyses and evaluation of the collection of artifacts acquired during the excavations, could be an exceptionally valuable source for further research, detailed studies and analyses on the character of traditions, relations and cultural conditions in this part of Małopolska (Lesser Poland) in younger sections of the Iron Age.
The excavations of multicultural site 1 at Michałowice have been carried out since 2008. So far, ... more The excavations of multicultural site 1 at Michałowice have been carried out since 2008. So far, the excavations have encompassed approx. 40 ares and resulted in the discovery of 122 archaeological features. The area investigated in seasons 2013–2014 totals 10 ares. The research revealed cremation burials associated with the Lusatian and Przeworsk cultures, as well as the first inhumation burial in the site, and more groove features linked with the Przeworsk culture.
The study is focused on finds from the complex of settlements at Zagórzyce, Kazimierza Wielka di... more The study is focused on finds from the complex of settlements at Zagórzyce, Kazimierza Wielka district (sites nos. 13), inhabited by the communities of Przeworsk culture in the Late Pre-Roman Iron Age and in the Roman Period. During the long lasting archaeological investigations 5 Roman Republican denarii were found. The artefacts were spread over a wide area and in various stratigraphical contexts, precluding the possibility of regarding them as a part of dispersed hoard. The coins were minted in the names of C. Servilius, L. Appuleius Saturninus, C. Allius Bala, C. Vibius Pansa, in the second half of the 2nd century BC and in the early 1st century BC. The latest issue is represented by a denarius of L. Hostilius Saserna from the year 48 BC. Bad state of preservation of discussed coins indicates their long period of usage. Only two of the denarii, found during excavations on site 1, can be linked with a precise stratigraphical context pointing to their connection with the intensive settlement of Przeworsk culture that existed at Zagórzyce in the course of the B2 phase and in the early C1 phase of the Roman Period. The other coins, loosely found on the surface, should be most probably associated with this particular settlement phase. This would mean that the coins of the Roman Republic could have been deposited in the ground between the end of the 1st century AD and the end of the 2nd century AD, i.e. fairly long after the dates of their issue. The relatively large number of precisely dated finds of Roman Republican coins ranks the settlement complex at Zagórzyce among the most significant in this respect, archaeologically explored, settlement sites in Poland.
Excavations on a multicultural archaeological site at Michałowice have been conducted since 2008... more Excavations on a multicultural archaeological site at Michałowice have been conducted since 2008. So for, a total area of nearly 3200 m2 has been explored, bringing to light 107 archaeological features connected in the most part with the Przeworsk culture cemetery. In the 2012 season, 6 cremation burials and one groove-type feature attributed to this cultural unit were discovered. They were dug into a very large (ca. 30 m in diameter) natural closed depression.
Spatial arrangement and development of cemeteries have long
attracted the interest of archaeologi... more Spatial arrangement and development of cemeteries have long attracted the interest of archaeologists. One of the questions asked was whether the cemeteries developed in a planned manner and within a fixed space or, on the contrary, did they expand successively when necessary. The excavations conducted on the Przeworsk culture cemetery at Michałowice can perhaps provide new data for this discussion. The mentioned cemetery yielded 20 groove-type features characterised by a regular, rectangular shape. All these structures were oriented according to the four cardinal directions and arranged close to each other in rows along the north-south line. Along with groove-type features, an inhumation grave and cremation burials were discovered, both within the area encompassed by the arms of the grooves and outside it, and forming no detectable clusters. Based on the hitherto studies it can be assumed that groove-type features themselves were not graves, nor were they enclosures around the burials of high-ranking individuals. Their function was rather to delimit the area where the deceased belonging to one family or clan were buried, being a kind of “family quarters”. The burials proper might have been very shallow or even put on the surface, thus being prone to damage. At the same time, the arrangement of groove-type features in Michałowice around an empty central area seems planned rather than coincidental. It is also very likely that all these features were used simultaneously and over a longer period of time.
Honoratissiumum Assensus Genus Est Armis Laudare, 2014
The first discovery of a Przeworsk culture inhumation
burial in the cemetery at Michałowice. Crem... more The first discovery of a Przeworsk culture inhumation burial in the cemetery at Michałowice. Cremation was the dominant rite throughout the entire period of the Przeworsk culture development, inhumation occurring only sporadically. The excavations conducted in 2013 at Michałowice have brought the discovery of the first inhumation burial in this cemetery. The grave goods offered to the deceased woman and comprising, among other things, the brooches of A 45 and A 67b2 type, and the features of the burial rite itself, can support the hypothesis about the ‘Marcomannic’ origins of inhumation in the Przeworsk culture in Małopolska in the Early Roman Period.
The excavations on a multicultural site 1 at Michałowice, Czarnocin commune, have been conducted... more The excavations on a multicultural site 1 at Michałowice, Czarnocin commune, have been conducted since 2008. In 2011, they concentrated in the north-western part of the site, where a geomagnetic survey had been conducted by the team led by P. Wroniecki in the preceding season. The verification of this survey’s results was the main goal of the excavations in 2011. The excavated area amounted to 800 m2, which yielded 31 archaeological features mainly connected with the Przeworsk culture cemetery. Among the discovered features were both cremation burials and groove-type features known from previous investigations. A few Lusatian culture burials were discovered, too. The results of the geomagnetic survey were in most part confirmed during the excavations.
The multicultural site 1 at Michałowice has long attracted the attention of archaeologists. Since... more The multicultural site 1 at Michałowice has long attracted the attention of archaeologists. Since the 1950’s, artefacts attributed to the Przeworsk culture have been discovered from time to time in fields near the administrative border between the Michałowice and Ciuślice villages. This resulted in an initial, small-scale salvage excavation of the site, which revealed skeleton burials of the Lusatian culture, as well as skeleton and cremation burials attributed to the Przeworsk culture. The excavations conducted in 2008–2010 uncovered 53 archaeological features, attributed to the Trzciniec, Lusatian and Przeworsk cultures. Among the most remarkable discoveries were human and horse burials connected with the Trzciniec culture and the Early Roman Period groove-type features from the Przeworsk culture cemetery.
Since 2001 systematic and comprehensive archaeological research on the settlement micro-region ar... more Since 2001 systematic and comprehensive archaeological research on the settlement micro-region around the multi-cultural settlement at Site 2 in Jakuszowice, the świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, has been carried out. This settlement has already been known in literature. Unexpectedly abundant results of this activity have brought so far numerous new and valuable data concerning the image of settlement and cultural changes in the area of the central and the lower course of the RiverNidzica in various prehistoric and early historic periods. The importance of these discoveries inclined the authors to provide the research in this area with a formal framework, by means of organisation of the “Ponidzie Expedition.” In the course of the afore-mentioned archaeological examinations, carried out in the area of Zagórzyce by the Institute of Archaeology of the Jagiellonian University, a small multi-cultural site was discovered. It was marked as Site 3. It is situated on the edge of the right bank terrace of the River Zagórzanka, opposite to Site 1 (which has been examined with excavations) and neighbouring Site 2. All three sites form a settlement complex, which existed with varying intensity in the La Tène and the Roman Periods. It is worth underlining that no traces of human activity from the turn of the Early and the Late Roman Periods were discovered at Site 3, while a large settlement of the population of the Przeworsk culture existed at Site 1 and probably also at Site 2. In the course of cyclical field survey and small scale rescue excavations carried at Site 3 in 2003, remains of settlement from the Neolithic (the Funnel Beaker culture), the Early Bronze Age (the Trzciniecculture) and the end of the Roman Period were discovered. The inventory of Feature 1 is related to the last settlement horizon. The feature has a one-time fill, which is implied, e.g., by pottery restoration statistics. An abundant assemblage of fragments of vessels of the Przeworsk culture was found there. The lion’s share of the assemblage was workshop pottery, made with the use of a potter’s wheel. This pottery was examined in detail from the technological and the stylistic point of view. Some discovered fragments bear traces of secondary firing, which may be interpreted as a result of failed firing. This process in all probability took place in a kiln located within the settlement. It must be said that the afore-mentioned suppositions were confirmed. In the course of excavation research in the 2008 season, a well-preserved feature in the type of a pottery kiln was discovered at Site 3. It was used for firing wheel-made pottery. Coming back to pottery from Feature 1, the majority of analysed forms of vessels are similar to the centre of manufacture of workshop pottery located near Cracow. They display numerous similar features to finds from the settlement in Jakuszowice or the production settlement in Igołomia. On the other hand, in this assemblage there are single elements which may suggest its late chronological position. These include i.a. vessels related to pottery traditions which were widespread in the 4th and 5th c. AD in the central basin of the River Danube. One can mention a pitcher in the style related to pottery of Type Murga or a storage vessel which seems to be stylistically related to both late Sarmatian forms and to so-called foederatenkeramik, i.e., late provincial Roman pottery, which was manufactured in the Danube border zone. Late chronology of the Przeworsk culture settlement at Site 3 can be confirmed by one of two Roman coins which were discovered on its surface. It is a small bronze coin (Aes III) of Valentinian I, which was minted in 364–375. The surfaces of the item are strongly worn out and it was secondarily remade into a decorative fitting of undefined form. This may imply its long circulation before it got into the ground. It cannot be therefore excluded that the small settlement at Site 3 existed chiefly in the 4th c. It was then abandoned at undefined time after the date of minting of the coin of Valentinian I, perhaps in the early 5th c. AD. It would have therefore been the period when the nearby settlement centre of the Przeworsk culture in Jakuszowice must have flourished. Materials which were discussed in this paper relate Site 3 in Zagórzyce to commonly accepted views concerning areas of western Lesser Poland’s loess upland. Of enormous interest is also the issue concerning the position and the role of the discussed settlement within the conventionally defined Jakuszowice-Zagórzyce settlement micro-region of the Przeworsk culture. The core of this settlement network forms as late as the end of the Early Roman Period, while the younger and the Later Roman Periods bring a notable stabilisation with regard to that. Most probably in the 3rd and 4th c. AD a peculiar kind of settlement structures originated in the loess territories upon the Upper River Wisła. It was based on a network of central settlements and accompanying smaller satellite settlements. At the end of the 2nd c. AD, when the rich settlement within the complex of Sites 1 and 2 in Zagórzyce was abandoned, the settlement at Site 2 in Jakuszowice started to fulfil the central role. The settlement at Site 3 in Zagórzyce is the first satellite settlement related to the Jakuszowice centre which was examined with excavations and whose inhabitants occupied themselves with manufacture of wheel-made pottery at the end of Antiquity.
Praca magisterska napisana w Instytutucie Archeologii Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, 2006
This work attempts to create a monographic approach to results of hitherto archeological research... more This work attempts to create a monographic approach to results of hitherto archeological research that has been conducted at site 1 in Zagórzyce, Kazimierza Wielka commune (Map 1). Parts of Przeworsk culture materials found at the site and dated to early Roman Period are analysed here. They come from fourteen objects of habitable character. The work adds to the problems of relations between Przeworsk culture settlements in Little Poland and culture units surrounding it in developed phase of early Roman period. The main part of research sources is pottery and other categories of relics, all coming from those fourteen objects mentioned above. Fragments of dishes that appeared in layers covering roofs of analysed objects are under discussion. The work includes fragments of clothing as well - buckles , pendants, beads, bone pins, whorls and metal objects from the whole excavated area. Great emphasis is placed on recognition, reconstruction and classification of relics dated to the beginnings and early stages of younger Roman period. Processes going together with forming of settlements´ fillers are traced, as well as translocation of archeological materials at site 1 in Zagórzyce. Materials analysed were discovered in arable and subsoil layers. The area of fourteen habitable objects has been previously divided into sections. Pottery and other items discussed were found within the following objects : 2, 8, 12, 30, 37, 57, 64, 70, 76, 87, 139, 141, 161, 183. Materials discussed were obtained from sections : II, V, XX, XXII, XXIII, XXVI, XXVIII, annex N –2002, XXXIII, XXXIV, XXXV, XXXVI, XXXVII, XL, XLII, XLIII, XLVI, XLVII, XLVIII, LXII, LXIII, LXIV, LXVI, LXVII, LXXI, LXXV, LXXVI, LXXX, LXXXI, under which remains of habitable objects mentioned above occurred. (il. 4,5,6,7).
This article concerns enigmatic artifacts, which have been found in the central part of historic ... more This article concerns enigmatic artifacts, which have been found in the central part of historic Lesser Poland (Małopolska) throughout the last decade. They were made of bronze alloy and have a flat, circular (annular) shape with large, mostly regular, round hole in a central part. All of them are ornamented with multiple smaller, concentric circles. So far 78 such items, preserved mostly in pieces, have been registered. Currently, due to the discovery context of these finds it is hard to determine their chronology and cultural context. It is possible, however, concerning their presence in a specific area, that those artifacts were once elements of a regional outfit, probably medieval / post-medieval/ modern. One should also note that in many cases those artifacts were discovered in the context of military finds, such as spurs. The authors’ goal is to draw researchers’ attention to such items.
Site 3 in Zagórzyce is located on a slope to the east of Sites 1, 2 and 4 on the opposite side of... more Site 3 in Zagórzyce is located on a slope to the east of Sites 1, 2 and 4 on the opposite side of a small watercourse and is directly related to them, forming a Zagórzyce settlement microregion od Przeworsk culture. Contrary to Site 1, dated to a narrow period between the late Phase B2 of the Early Roman Period and the early Phase C1 of the Younger Roman Period, Site 3 has later chronological position, dated to Phases C2–D. In the results of rescue excavations in 2008, a well preserved pottery kiln with remarkable cross structure inside the firing chamber and an accompanying pit were discovered. In their fills and in their closest vicinity, about 4.900 fragments of pottery were found. Nearly all of them represent wheel made pottery, the so-called grey ware pottery, almost entirely with smooth surfaces. This small local pottery workshop provided a coherent and stylistically unified set of pottery. The paper focuses on presenting the preliminary results of rescue excavations at Site 3 in Zagórzyce, especially concerning the pottery kiln, as well as the pottery workshop itself in the context of local settlement situation of Przeworsk Culture in late antique.
The excavations on Site 2 in Jadowniki Mokre „Wilczy Grunt” were carried out in 2007, 2008 and 20... more The excavations on Site 2 in Jadowniki Mokre „Wilczy Grunt” were carried out in 2007, 2008 and 2019. They were limited to short term research actions, connected with field survey of the site. By now, an area of 1,25 are has been examined through excavations. There were discovered 7 certain and 2 further, alleged grave features, tied to Przeworsk Culture’s cemetery. During the aforementioned excavation seasons, research was focused on eastern part of an area, adjacent to illegal sandpits located on the site. Graves discovered during excavations were of varying degrees of preservation. Features 1/2007, 2/2008, 3/2019 and 6/2019 can be described as well-preserved. Three further burials, i.e. 1/2019, 2/2019 and 5/2019 are objects with a significant degree of damage. Thanks to the application od 3D tracking of artifacts in the field, it was possible to make a draft reconstruction of two further burials. For the purpose of this paper, they were defined as features 3a/2008 and 4a/2008 (Fig. 3). Numerous burials had been damaged due to illegal exploration of sand, present in this area. Without doubt, nearby trees from the forest in this area of Jadowniki Mokre also have influence on the features’ state of preservation. Generally, it can be assumed, that the graves and discovered artifacts are characteristic of Przeworsk Culture. On the site elements of outfit were were discovered: fibulae, elements of belts and weapons, as well as numerous ceramic materials, including pottery fragments from heavy deformed and broken vessels. It should be noted, that there were also found a few fragments of bronze vessels. All aforementioned features could be dated to Early Roman Period, and in one case, that is feature 1/2019, its chronology can be determined to phase C1a of Younger Roman Period. Describing the results of the research on Site 2 in Jadowniki Mokre it should be noted, that the intention of this paper is to highlight the discoveries in the literature of the subject only. Since the excavation on the site were resumed, the authors have intended to publish the results, considering it necessary. The archaeological materials found on the Site seem to be so important, that they deserve publication and, therefore, making this preliminary results available to the widest possible audience. Moreover, it should be noted, that possible further, more detailed analyses and evaluation of the collection of artifacts acquired during the excavations, could be an exceptionally valuable source for further research, detailed studies and analyses on the character of traditions, relations and cultural conditions in this part of Małopolska (Lesser Poland) in younger sections of the Iron Age.
The excavations of multicultural site 1 at Michałowice have been carried out since 2008. So far, ... more The excavations of multicultural site 1 at Michałowice have been carried out since 2008. So far, the excavations have encompassed approx. 40 ares and resulted in the discovery of 122 archaeological features. The area investigated in seasons 2013–2014 totals 10 ares. The research revealed cremation burials associated with the Lusatian and Przeworsk cultures, as well as the first inhumation burial in the site, and more groove features linked with the Przeworsk culture.
The study is focused on finds from the complex of settlements at Zagórzyce, Kazimierza Wielka di... more The study is focused on finds from the complex of settlements at Zagórzyce, Kazimierza Wielka district (sites nos. 13), inhabited by the communities of Przeworsk culture in the Late Pre-Roman Iron Age and in the Roman Period. During the long lasting archaeological investigations 5 Roman Republican denarii were found. The artefacts were spread over a wide area and in various stratigraphical contexts, precluding the possibility of regarding them as a part of dispersed hoard. The coins were minted in the names of C. Servilius, L. Appuleius Saturninus, C. Allius Bala, C. Vibius Pansa, in the second half of the 2nd century BC and in the early 1st century BC. The latest issue is represented by a denarius of L. Hostilius Saserna from the year 48 BC. Bad state of preservation of discussed coins indicates their long period of usage. Only two of the denarii, found during excavations on site 1, can be linked with a precise stratigraphical context pointing to their connection with the intensive settlement of Przeworsk culture that existed at Zagórzyce in the course of the B2 phase and in the early C1 phase of the Roman Period. The other coins, loosely found on the surface, should be most probably associated with this particular settlement phase. This would mean that the coins of the Roman Republic could have been deposited in the ground between the end of the 1st century AD and the end of the 2nd century AD, i.e. fairly long after the dates of their issue. The relatively large number of precisely dated finds of Roman Republican coins ranks the settlement complex at Zagórzyce among the most significant in this respect, archaeologically explored, settlement sites in Poland.
Excavations on a multicultural archaeological site at Michałowice have been conducted since 2008... more Excavations on a multicultural archaeological site at Michałowice have been conducted since 2008. So for, a total area of nearly 3200 m2 has been explored, bringing to light 107 archaeological features connected in the most part with the Przeworsk culture cemetery. In the 2012 season, 6 cremation burials and one groove-type feature attributed to this cultural unit were discovered. They were dug into a very large (ca. 30 m in diameter) natural closed depression.
Spatial arrangement and development of cemeteries have long
attracted the interest of archaeologi... more Spatial arrangement and development of cemeteries have long attracted the interest of archaeologists. One of the questions asked was whether the cemeteries developed in a planned manner and within a fixed space or, on the contrary, did they expand successively when necessary. The excavations conducted on the Przeworsk culture cemetery at Michałowice can perhaps provide new data for this discussion. The mentioned cemetery yielded 20 groove-type features characterised by a regular, rectangular shape. All these structures were oriented according to the four cardinal directions and arranged close to each other in rows along the north-south line. Along with groove-type features, an inhumation grave and cremation burials were discovered, both within the area encompassed by the arms of the grooves and outside it, and forming no detectable clusters. Based on the hitherto studies it can be assumed that groove-type features themselves were not graves, nor were they enclosures around the burials of high-ranking individuals. Their function was rather to delimit the area where the deceased belonging to one family or clan were buried, being a kind of “family quarters”. The burials proper might have been very shallow or even put on the surface, thus being prone to damage. At the same time, the arrangement of groove-type features in Michałowice around an empty central area seems planned rather than coincidental. It is also very likely that all these features were used simultaneously and over a longer period of time.
Honoratissiumum Assensus Genus Est Armis Laudare, 2014
The first discovery of a Przeworsk culture inhumation
burial in the cemetery at Michałowice. Crem... more The first discovery of a Przeworsk culture inhumation burial in the cemetery at Michałowice. Cremation was the dominant rite throughout the entire period of the Przeworsk culture development, inhumation occurring only sporadically. The excavations conducted in 2013 at Michałowice have brought the discovery of the first inhumation burial in this cemetery. The grave goods offered to the deceased woman and comprising, among other things, the brooches of A 45 and A 67b2 type, and the features of the burial rite itself, can support the hypothesis about the ‘Marcomannic’ origins of inhumation in the Przeworsk culture in Małopolska in the Early Roman Period.
The excavations on a multicultural site 1 at Michałowice, Czarnocin commune, have been conducted... more The excavations on a multicultural site 1 at Michałowice, Czarnocin commune, have been conducted since 2008. In 2011, they concentrated in the north-western part of the site, where a geomagnetic survey had been conducted by the team led by P. Wroniecki in the preceding season. The verification of this survey’s results was the main goal of the excavations in 2011. The excavated area amounted to 800 m2, which yielded 31 archaeological features mainly connected with the Przeworsk culture cemetery. Among the discovered features were both cremation burials and groove-type features known from previous investigations. A few Lusatian culture burials were discovered, too. The results of the geomagnetic survey were in most part confirmed during the excavations.
The multicultural site 1 at Michałowice has long attracted the attention of archaeologists. Since... more The multicultural site 1 at Michałowice has long attracted the attention of archaeologists. Since the 1950’s, artefacts attributed to the Przeworsk culture have been discovered from time to time in fields near the administrative border between the Michałowice and Ciuślice villages. This resulted in an initial, small-scale salvage excavation of the site, which revealed skeleton burials of the Lusatian culture, as well as skeleton and cremation burials attributed to the Przeworsk culture. The excavations conducted in 2008–2010 uncovered 53 archaeological features, attributed to the Trzciniec, Lusatian and Przeworsk cultures. Among the most remarkable discoveries were human and horse burials connected with the Trzciniec culture and the Early Roman Period groove-type features from the Przeworsk culture cemetery.
Since 2001 systematic and comprehensive archaeological research on the settlement micro-region ar... more Since 2001 systematic and comprehensive archaeological research on the settlement micro-region around the multi-cultural settlement at Site 2 in Jakuszowice, the świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, has been carried out. This settlement has already been known in literature. Unexpectedly abundant results of this activity have brought so far numerous new and valuable data concerning the image of settlement and cultural changes in the area of the central and the lower course of the RiverNidzica in various prehistoric and early historic periods. The importance of these discoveries inclined the authors to provide the research in this area with a formal framework, by means of organisation of the “Ponidzie Expedition.” In the course of the afore-mentioned archaeological examinations, carried out in the area of Zagórzyce by the Institute of Archaeology of the Jagiellonian University, a small multi-cultural site was discovered. It was marked as Site 3. It is situated on the edge of the right bank terrace of the River Zagórzanka, opposite to Site 1 (which has been examined with excavations) and neighbouring Site 2. All three sites form a settlement complex, which existed with varying intensity in the La Tène and the Roman Periods. It is worth underlining that no traces of human activity from the turn of the Early and the Late Roman Periods were discovered at Site 3, while a large settlement of the population of the Przeworsk culture existed at Site 1 and probably also at Site 2. In the course of cyclical field survey and small scale rescue excavations carried at Site 3 in 2003, remains of settlement from the Neolithic (the Funnel Beaker culture), the Early Bronze Age (the Trzciniecculture) and the end of the Roman Period were discovered. The inventory of Feature 1 is related to the last settlement horizon. The feature has a one-time fill, which is implied, e.g., by pottery restoration statistics. An abundant assemblage of fragments of vessels of the Przeworsk culture was found there. The lion’s share of the assemblage was workshop pottery, made with the use of a potter’s wheel. This pottery was examined in detail from the technological and the stylistic point of view. Some discovered fragments bear traces of secondary firing, which may be interpreted as a result of failed firing. This process in all probability took place in a kiln located within the settlement. It must be said that the afore-mentioned suppositions were confirmed. In the course of excavation research in the 2008 season, a well-preserved feature in the type of a pottery kiln was discovered at Site 3. It was used for firing wheel-made pottery. Coming back to pottery from Feature 1, the majority of analysed forms of vessels are similar to the centre of manufacture of workshop pottery located near Cracow. They display numerous similar features to finds from the settlement in Jakuszowice or the production settlement in Igołomia. On the other hand, in this assemblage there are single elements which may suggest its late chronological position. These include i.a. vessels related to pottery traditions which were widespread in the 4th and 5th c. AD in the central basin of the River Danube. One can mention a pitcher in the style related to pottery of Type Murga or a storage vessel which seems to be stylistically related to both late Sarmatian forms and to so-called foederatenkeramik, i.e., late provincial Roman pottery, which was manufactured in the Danube border zone. Late chronology of the Przeworsk culture settlement at Site 3 can be confirmed by one of two Roman coins which were discovered on its surface. It is a small bronze coin (Aes III) of Valentinian I, which was minted in 364–375. The surfaces of the item are strongly worn out and it was secondarily remade into a decorative fitting of undefined form. This may imply its long circulation before it got into the ground. It cannot be therefore excluded that the small settlement at Site 3 existed chiefly in the 4th c. It was then abandoned at undefined time after the date of minting of the coin of Valentinian I, perhaps in the early 5th c. AD. It would have therefore been the period when the nearby settlement centre of the Przeworsk culture in Jakuszowice must have flourished. Materials which were discussed in this paper relate Site 3 in Zagórzyce to commonly accepted views concerning areas of western Lesser Poland’s loess upland. Of enormous interest is also the issue concerning the position and the role of the discussed settlement within the conventionally defined Jakuszowice-Zagórzyce settlement micro-region of the Przeworsk culture. The core of this settlement network forms as late as the end of the Early Roman Period, while the younger and the Later Roman Periods bring a notable stabilisation with regard to that. Most probably in the 3rd and 4th c. AD a peculiar kind of settlement structures originated in the loess territories upon the Upper River Wisła. It was based on a network of central settlements and accompanying smaller satellite settlements. At the end of the 2nd c. AD, when the rich settlement within the complex of Sites 1 and 2 in Zagórzyce was abandoned, the settlement at Site 2 in Jakuszowice started to fulfil the central role. The settlement at Site 3 in Zagórzyce is the first satellite settlement related to the Jakuszowice centre which was examined with excavations and whose inhabitants occupied themselves with manufacture of wheel-made pottery at the end of Antiquity.
Praca magisterska napisana w Instytutucie Archeologii Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, 2006
This work attempts to create a monographic approach to results of hitherto archeological research... more This work attempts to create a monographic approach to results of hitherto archeological research that has been conducted at site 1 in Zagórzyce, Kazimierza Wielka commune (Map 1). Parts of Przeworsk culture materials found at the site and dated to early Roman Period are analysed here. They come from fourteen objects of habitable character. The work adds to the problems of relations between Przeworsk culture settlements in Little Poland and culture units surrounding it in developed phase of early Roman period. The main part of research sources is pottery and other categories of relics, all coming from those fourteen objects mentioned above. Fragments of dishes that appeared in layers covering roofs of analysed objects are under discussion. The work includes fragments of clothing as well - buckles , pendants, beads, bone pins, whorls and metal objects from the whole excavated area. Great emphasis is placed on recognition, reconstruction and classification of relics dated to the beginnings and early stages of younger Roman period. Processes going together with forming of settlements´ fillers are traced, as well as translocation of archeological materials at site 1 in Zagórzyce. Materials analysed were discovered in arable and subsoil layers. The area of fourteen habitable objects has been previously divided into sections. Pottery and other items discussed were found within the following objects : 2, 8, 12, 30, 37, 57, 64, 70, 76, 87, 139, 141, 161, 183. Materials discussed were obtained from sections : II, V, XX, XXII, XXIII, XXVI, XXVIII, annex N –2002, XXXIII, XXXIV, XXXV, XXXVI, XXXVII, XL, XLII, XLIII, XLVI, XLVII, XLVIII, LXII, LXIII, LXIV, LXVI, LXVII, LXXI, LXXV, LXXVI, LXXX, LXXXI, under which remains of habitable objects mentioned above occurred. (il. 4,5,6,7).
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Papers by Jacek Pikulski
attracted the interest of archaeologists. One of the questions
asked was whether the cemeteries developed in a planned
manner and within a fixed space or, on the contrary, did they
expand successively when necessary. The excavations conducted
on the Przeworsk culture cemetery at Michałowice
can perhaps provide new data for this discussion.
The mentioned cemetery yielded 20 groove-type features
characterised by a regular, rectangular shape. All these structures
were oriented according to the four cardinal directions
and arranged close to each other in rows along the north-south
line. Along with groove-type features, an inhumation grave
and cremation burials were discovered, both within the area
encompassed by the arms of the grooves and outside it, and
forming no detectable clusters. Based on the hitherto studies
it can be assumed that groove-type features themselves
were not graves, nor were they enclosures around the burials
of high-ranking individuals. Their function was rather to
delimit the area where the deceased belonging to one family
or clan were buried, being a kind of “family quarters”.
The burials proper might have been very shallow or even put
on the surface, thus being prone to damage. At the same time,
the arrangement of groove-type features in Michałowice
around an empty central area seems planned rather than
coincidental. It is also very likely that all these features
were used simultaneously and over a longer period of time.
burial in the cemetery at Michałowice. Cremation was
the dominant rite throughout the entire period of the
Przeworsk culture development, inhumation occurring
only sporadically. The excavations conducted in 2013
at Michałowice have brought the discovery of the first
inhumation burial in this cemetery. The grave goods
offered to the deceased woman and comprising, among
other things, the brooches of A 45 and A 67b2 type,
and the features of the burial rite itself, can support
the hypothesis about the ‘Marcomannic’ origins of
inhumation in the Przeworsk culture in Małopolska
in the Early Roman Period.
abundant results of this activity have brought so far numerous new and valuable data concerning the image of settlement and cultural changes in the area of the central and the lower course of the RiverNidzica in various prehistoric and early historic periods. The importance of these discoveries inclined the authors to provide the research in this area with a formal framework, by means of organisation of the “Ponidzie Expedition.”
In the course of the afore-mentioned archaeological examinations, carried out in the area of Zagórzyce by the Institute of Archaeology of the Jagiellonian University, a small multi-cultural site was discovered. It was marked as Site 3. It is situated on the edge of the right bank terrace of the River Zagórzanka, opposite to Site 1 (which has been examined with excavations) and neighbouring Site 2. All three sites form a settlement complex, which existed with varying intensity in the La Tène and the Roman Periods. It is worth underlining that no traces of human activity from the turn of the Early and the Late Roman Periods were discovered at Site 3, while a large settlement of the population of the Przeworsk culture existed at Site 1 and probably also at Site 2. In the course of cyclical field survey and small scale rescue excavations carried at Site 3 in 2003, remains of settlement from the Neolithic (the Funnel Beaker culture), the Early Bronze Age (the Trzciniecculture) and
the end of the Roman Period were discovered. The inventory of Feature 1 is related to the last settlement horizon. The feature has a one-time fill, which is implied, e.g., by pottery restoration statistics. An abundant assemblage of fragments of vessels of the Przeworsk culture was found
there. The lion’s share of the assemblage was workshop pottery, made with the use of a potter’s wheel. This pottery was examined in detail from the technological and the stylistic point of view. Some discovered fragments bear traces of secondary firing, which may be interpreted as a result of failed firing. This process in all probability took place in a kiln located within the settlement. It must be said that the afore-mentioned suppositions were confirmed. In the course of excavation research in the 2008 season, a well-preserved feature in the type of a pottery kiln was discovered at Site 3. It was used for firing wheel-made pottery.
Coming back to pottery from Feature 1, the majority of analysed forms of vessels are similar to the centre of manufacture of workshop pottery located near Cracow. They display numerous similar features to finds from the settlement in Jakuszowice or the production settlement in
Igołomia. On the other hand, in this assemblage there are single elements which may suggest its late chronological position. These include i.a. vessels related to pottery traditions which were widespread in the 4th and 5th c. AD in the central basin of the River Danube. One can mention a pitcher in the style related to pottery of Type Murga or a storage vessel which seems to be stylistically related to both late Sarmatian forms and to so-called foederatenkeramik, i.e., late provincial Roman pottery, which was manufactured in the Danube border zone. Late chronology of the Przeworsk culture settlement at Site 3 can be confirmed by one of two Roman coins which were discovered on its
surface. It is a small bronze coin (Aes III) of Valentinian I, which was minted in 364–375. The surfaces of the item are strongly worn out and it was secondarily remade into a decorative fitting of undefined form. This may imply its long circulation before it got into the ground. It cannot be therefore excluded that the small settlement at Site 3 existed chiefly in the 4th c. It was then abandoned at undefined time after the date of minting of the coin of Valentinian I, perhaps in the early 5th c. AD. It would have therefore been the period when the nearby settlement centre of the Przeworsk culture in Jakuszowice must have flourished.
Materials which were discussed in this paper relate Site 3 in Zagórzyce to commonly accepted views concerning areas of western Lesser Poland’s loess upland. Of enormous interest is also the issue concerning the position and the role of the discussed settlement within the conventionally defined Jakuszowice-Zagórzyce settlement micro-region
of the Przeworsk culture. The core of this settlement network forms as late as the end of the Early Roman Period, while the younger and the Later Roman Periods bring a notable stabilisation with regard to that. Most probably in the 3rd and 4th c. AD a peculiar kind of settlement structures originated in the loess territories upon the Upper River Wisła. It was based on a network of central settlements and accompanying smaller satellite settlements. At the end of the 2nd c. AD, when the rich settlement within the complex of Sites 1 and 2 in Zagórzyce was abandoned, the settlement at Site 2 in Jakuszowice started to fulfil the central role. The settlement at Site 3 in Zagórzyce is the first satellite settlement related to the Jakuszowice centre which was examined with excavations and whose inhabitants occupied themselves with manufacture of wheel-made pottery at the end of Antiquity.
attracted the interest of archaeologists. One of the questions
asked was whether the cemeteries developed in a planned
manner and within a fixed space or, on the contrary, did they
expand successively when necessary. The excavations conducted
on the Przeworsk culture cemetery at Michałowice
can perhaps provide new data for this discussion.
The mentioned cemetery yielded 20 groove-type features
characterised by a regular, rectangular shape. All these structures
were oriented according to the four cardinal directions
and arranged close to each other in rows along the north-south
line. Along with groove-type features, an inhumation grave
and cremation burials were discovered, both within the area
encompassed by the arms of the grooves and outside it, and
forming no detectable clusters. Based on the hitherto studies
it can be assumed that groove-type features themselves
were not graves, nor were they enclosures around the burials
of high-ranking individuals. Their function was rather to
delimit the area where the deceased belonging to one family
or clan were buried, being a kind of “family quarters”.
The burials proper might have been very shallow or even put
on the surface, thus being prone to damage. At the same time,
the arrangement of groove-type features in Michałowice
around an empty central area seems planned rather than
coincidental. It is also very likely that all these features
were used simultaneously and over a longer period of time.
burial in the cemetery at Michałowice. Cremation was
the dominant rite throughout the entire period of the
Przeworsk culture development, inhumation occurring
only sporadically. The excavations conducted in 2013
at Michałowice have brought the discovery of the first
inhumation burial in this cemetery. The grave goods
offered to the deceased woman and comprising, among
other things, the brooches of A 45 and A 67b2 type,
and the features of the burial rite itself, can support
the hypothesis about the ‘Marcomannic’ origins of
inhumation in the Przeworsk culture in Małopolska
in the Early Roman Period.
abundant results of this activity have brought so far numerous new and valuable data concerning the image of settlement and cultural changes in the area of the central and the lower course of the RiverNidzica in various prehistoric and early historic periods. The importance of these discoveries inclined the authors to provide the research in this area with a formal framework, by means of organisation of the “Ponidzie Expedition.”
In the course of the afore-mentioned archaeological examinations, carried out in the area of Zagórzyce by the Institute of Archaeology of the Jagiellonian University, a small multi-cultural site was discovered. It was marked as Site 3. It is situated on the edge of the right bank terrace of the River Zagórzanka, opposite to Site 1 (which has been examined with excavations) and neighbouring Site 2. All three sites form a settlement complex, which existed with varying intensity in the La Tène and the Roman Periods. It is worth underlining that no traces of human activity from the turn of the Early and the Late Roman Periods were discovered at Site 3, while a large settlement of the population of the Przeworsk culture existed at Site 1 and probably also at Site 2. In the course of cyclical field survey and small scale rescue excavations carried at Site 3 in 2003, remains of settlement from the Neolithic (the Funnel Beaker culture), the Early Bronze Age (the Trzciniecculture) and
the end of the Roman Period were discovered. The inventory of Feature 1 is related to the last settlement horizon. The feature has a one-time fill, which is implied, e.g., by pottery restoration statistics. An abundant assemblage of fragments of vessels of the Przeworsk culture was found
there. The lion’s share of the assemblage was workshop pottery, made with the use of a potter’s wheel. This pottery was examined in detail from the technological and the stylistic point of view. Some discovered fragments bear traces of secondary firing, which may be interpreted as a result of failed firing. This process in all probability took place in a kiln located within the settlement. It must be said that the afore-mentioned suppositions were confirmed. In the course of excavation research in the 2008 season, a well-preserved feature in the type of a pottery kiln was discovered at Site 3. It was used for firing wheel-made pottery.
Coming back to pottery from Feature 1, the majority of analysed forms of vessels are similar to the centre of manufacture of workshop pottery located near Cracow. They display numerous similar features to finds from the settlement in Jakuszowice or the production settlement in
Igołomia. On the other hand, in this assemblage there are single elements which may suggest its late chronological position. These include i.a. vessels related to pottery traditions which were widespread in the 4th and 5th c. AD in the central basin of the River Danube. One can mention a pitcher in the style related to pottery of Type Murga or a storage vessel which seems to be stylistically related to both late Sarmatian forms and to so-called foederatenkeramik, i.e., late provincial Roman pottery, which was manufactured in the Danube border zone. Late chronology of the Przeworsk culture settlement at Site 3 can be confirmed by one of two Roman coins which were discovered on its
surface. It is a small bronze coin (Aes III) of Valentinian I, which was minted in 364–375. The surfaces of the item are strongly worn out and it was secondarily remade into a decorative fitting of undefined form. This may imply its long circulation before it got into the ground. It cannot be therefore excluded that the small settlement at Site 3 existed chiefly in the 4th c. It was then abandoned at undefined time after the date of minting of the coin of Valentinian I, perhaps in the early 5th c. AD. It would have therefore been the period when the nearby settlement centre of the Przeworsk culture in Jakuszowice must have flourished.
Materials which were discussed in this paper relate Site 3 in Zagórzyce to commonly accepted views concerning areas of western Lesser Poland’s loess upland. Of enormous interest is also the issue concerning the position and the role of the discussed settlement within the conventionally defined Jakuszowice-Zagórzyce settlement micro-region
of the Przeworsk culture. The core of this settlement network forms as late as the end of the Early Roman Period, while the younger and the Later Roman Periods bring a notable stabilisation with regard to that. Most probably in the 3rd and 4th c. AD a peculiar kind of settlement structures originated in the loess territories upon the Upper River Wisła. It was based on a network of central settlements and accompanying smaller satellite settlements. At the end of the 2nd c. AD, when the rich settlement within the complex of Sites 1 and 2 in Zagórzyce was abandoned, the settlement at Site 2 in Jakuszowice started to fulfil the central role. The settlement at Site 3 in Zagórzyce is the first satellite settlement related to the Jakuszowice centre which was examined with excavations and whose inhabitants occupied themselves with manufacture of wheel-made pottery at the end of Antiquity.