Weaving is undoubtedly a hallmark of the Pre-Columbian societies that occupied the Andean region, reflected in the varied roles of textiles based on their characteristics as objects for clothing, funeral offerings, and vehicles for the transmission of ideas, ethnic differentiation or status indicators. Many textiles excavated in Peru – deposited without access of humidity, light, and oxygen – are still in excellent condition. Analyses of specimens of weaving from the archaeological sites in the Yauca Valley confirm a relatively high level of textile production and the proficiency of local craftsmen. The paper discusses the results of analyses of the weaving workbaskets and their equipment – sometimes precisely crafted and elaborately decorated – belonging to the textile manufacturers buried within the San Francisco cemetery (Caravelí Province) in the Yauca Valley. Although often colloquially referred to as weavers’ workbaskets, the materials and implements found within them are also associated with other stages of textile production, such as spinning, sewing, and embroidery. Radiocarbon dating allowed determination of the chronology of these materials to the 15th and 16th centuries, i.e. the Late Horizon in the Central Andean chronology.
The article addresses the issue of authenticity in the context of representations of the past created by archaeology. Starting from the traditional, dominant understanding of authenticity as the originality of monuments that have preserved their original features and form, I discuss alternative approaches to authenticity that focus not on the authenticity of material but on the ways of experiencing the past. Using full-scale open-air archaeological reconstructions as an example, I focus on the authenticity of relationships with the past that are created through copies, replicas, or re-enactments of life in prehistoric times. I argue that both original artefacts and archaeological sites, as well as their reconstructions, can carry values, including the value of authenticity, although understood in different ways. I also highlight the need for a deeper reflection on the concept of authenticity and its value in the context of contemporary archaeological practice, particularly in activities aimed at popularizing knowledge of the past among people outside this discipline.
During the first months of the Second World War in the Pomeranian Voivodeship (and Kuyavia), the Germans murdered – as can only be generally estimated – about 20,000-30,000 citizens of the Second Polish Republic. The bodies of the victims were usually buried in mass graves. This was the first example of German genocide committed in the years 1939-1945. In the second half of 1944, the bodies of the victims were exhumed from about 30 execution sites and then burned in order to cover up the traces of the crime (Aktion 1005). This article emphasizes the key role of archaeological research in the context of documenting and studying the traces of mass crimes. Despite the mass scale of the atrocity in the autumn of 1939 and the c. 400 execution sites known, they were have been the subject of research primarily by professional historians and local historians. The project “Archaeology of the Pomeranian Crime of 1939” is the first attempt at a new, archaeological (and in fact interdisciplinary) look at the legacy of the events of autumn 1939 and their concealment at the end of 1944. The results of research in the Szpęgawsk Forest are presented as a case study. This was one of the largest and most important places of execution from the initial period of the Second World War in Gdańsk Pomerania, where the Germans destroyed mass graves as part of Aktion 1005.
The current state of knowledge about medieval strongholds in the Świder basin has been verified in the course of research on the settlement of the south-eastern frontier of Mazovia. In addition to four such sites discovered during the field prospection made as a part of the Polish Archaeological Record (AZP) Project, the location of the previously undiscovered stronghold in Starogród, Mińsk Mazowiecki district was established, and onomastic traces of two others have been identified. The article presents preliminary data on a previously unknown chain of fortifications, which may be a trace of the internal territorial divisions, of the eastern part of medieval Czersk Land, previously little known to archaeologists.
The focus of this article is to introduce the history of underwater archaeology in Poland until 1990. The chosen caesura corresponds to the profound systemic changes after the fall of communism in 1989. Tracing the history of underwater archaeology shows how the research methods of this subdiscipline has changed over six decades. Underwater archaeology has evolved from an amateur activity to a science with developed methods and methodology. In addition, the turbulent history shows the impact of acute historical events on the researchers' fate, including how deep a mark was left on scientists by World War II and the subsequent communist period. Scientific centres in Szczecin, Warsaw, Gdansk and Torun played an essential role in developing underwater archaeology in Poland. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, some centres of underwater archaeology in Poland had developed, and some had halted their activities. Despite many challenges and problems, underwater research has experienced dynamic growth and still holds an important place alongside other historical sciences.
In the area of the Middle Odra basin in the 7th and 8th centuries, among the ceramic finds characteristic of the older phases of the early Middle Ages (Sukow-type pottery) there are fragments that are elements of vessels with an undercut rim. This specific type of vessels was first pointed out almost 30 years ago by Edward Dąbrowski. Nowadays it is possible to distinguish two groups of these vessels: the first group includes specimens made without the use of the potter's wheel, the undercut is not exact and the edges belong to simple forms. The second group consists specimens made with the potter's wheel with clearly marked undercuts and strongly developed edges. The common feature is the lack of decoration and the forms, which correspond to types C1, C2 and C3 according to the local typology. In addition, vessels classified in the first group are mainly found in the 7th century, while those in the second group are found in the 8th and disappear in the early 9th century. This paper characterises the fragments of vessels with an undercut rim both in terms of territorial distribution and chronology, as well as possible relationships with Feldberg-type pottery.
The article presents the results of archaeological and historical research on a small knight's residence from the village of Lipinki located in the eastern part of the former Duchy of Głogów. The excavations were prompted by the maintenance of the site by its new owner. The manor house had not been excavated before, and its chronology had been determined on the basis of formal criteria, classifying it as a late medieval motte-type settlement. The remains of this defensive-residential complex are situated in the south-western part of the village, about 200 metres west of its built-up area. The structure was built on a low natural hill, originally surrounded on three sides by marshy meadows and situated between two small watercourses, which were converted into drainage ditches in the period between the two World Wars. The main element of the complex is a mound, almost circular in shape, with a diameter of approximately 45 metres at the base, 32 metres at the top and a height of 2.5 metres. The mound is surrounded by a wet ditch 6 to 8 metres wide. Despite the limited scale of the excavations, cultural layers and features associated with two main phases of settlement were uncovered. The first phase was associated with a defensive residence built on the natural rise, surrounded by wetlands and a moat. Wood samples taken from the wooden reinforcements at the base of the mound and along the edge of the moat indicated that the manor was built in the 1430s. During the second phase of the occupation, which dates from the second half of the 16th century to the 18th century, a new manor house was built on the site of the earlier residence. At this time, a new mound of sand and clay was constructed and two brick buildings were built on its plateau: a main dwelling in the central part and an outbuilding near the north-eastern edge. The excavations have yielded numerous small finds related to the daily life of the manor’s inhabitants, including ceramic vessels, fragments of wooden bowls,, weaponry elements, and household equipment, such as stove tiles, nails, and building fittings.
Adam Naruszewicz (1733–1796) is considered the father of critical historiography in Poland. His most important work in this respect was the multi-volume History of the Polish Nation, the first volume of which, dealing with the prehistoric era, was published after the author’s death (1824). It is of interest to scholars of the history of archaeology in Poland, who also point to some other works of Naruszewicz where archaeological themes appear. However, until now, no attention has been paid in this respect to the Diary of the journey of king Stanislaus Augustus to Ukraine and other Crown lands in 1787, which contains an extensive passage devoted to barrows preserved in the Ukrainian steppes. It attempts to explain their origins or their connection to specific historical circumstances by referring to the testimony of ancient authors (including those from the Byzantine world). The author of the Diary of the journey of king Stanislaus Augustus… is not unaware that some of the impressive graves scattered across the steppe may be of later origin (from the Middle Ages or even modern times) and may be the result of long-lasting battles in these lands. In his description, Adam Naruszewicz also refers to local tradition, including folk accounts, which provides material of interest not only to the archaeologist or historian but also to the ethnographer. As part of the following article, the 1787 account has been selectively commented on – in the hope that it will not be overlooked when attempting to cover in more detail the origins of archaeological interest in domestic writing in the future.
In this article, the author analyses the beginnings of the discourse on early medieval strongholds from the Silesian–Greater Poland border that was conducted in the second half of the 20th century. It approaches the different understandings of the word discourse in the humanities or in sociology and addresses the question of who led the discourse on a given topic and why, who participated in it and to whom it was directed. The essence of discourse is not only the content that is spoken, but also how it is constructed and what meanings are included and communicated to the researchers. The text discusses the views of researchers who were important in shaping the knowledge of early medieval fortresses located in the area examined.
This article addresses the problem of equine presence in the Wrocław stronghold. In order to identify places where horses were possibly kept, all finds associated with these animals were taken into account: remains of hair, bones, horseshoes and horseshoe nails, spurs, elements of harnesses, etc. Based on the spatial distribution of these accessories, buildings were identified in which equines could have been kept. The presence of horses was also noted in the streets and empty squares, as well as within a larger enclosure located near the cathedral. An attempt was also made to identify the space inhabited by the riders. These issues are presented in the context of changes in the sociotopography and overall development of the Wrocław stronghold between the second half of the 10th century and the mid-13th century.
In contrast to offensive weapons, swords, spears, axes etc., elements of defensive weapons are a category of armaments very rarely recorded in early medieval cemeteries from Polish lands. Sometimes, including some finds in this category may even raise doubts (due to the difficulty of correctly identifying their military purpose). Therefore, the phenomenon of burying the dead with such items is difficult to assess unequivocally. This issue is discussed in this paper on the basis of the information available in the literature on the remains of chainmail (Dziekanowice, Giecz, Kałdus, Ostrowąż, Iwno) and shields (Dziekanowice, Kałdus, Lewino, Turowo, Żukowo) from cemeteries. One helmet (Silniczka) completes the collection, although its connection to the burial site is uncertain. The low frequency of defensive weapons in graves may have been influenced by various factors, resulting from the need for selection, giving preference to certain categories of weapons over others. Perhaps the custom of burying the dead in mail, helmets and with shields in the area in question did not take root or its reception was low. This may have been compounded by the high material value of the weapons that may have completely ruled out their ritual use as post-mortem equipment or otherwise limited this possibility, for example the inclusion of a small fragment of chainmail as an amulet (or on a pars pro toto basis). Another problem is the identification of certain pieces of weaponry due to their state of preservation.
The presented article is a contribution to the topic of amber circulation in Europe during the Bronze Age. Its main goal is to explain, based on archival and new data obtained in the course of the latest research, the issue of the origin and routes of influx of amber to the Central Balkans in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. The discussion focuses on a group of amber finds from the contemporaryBosnian-Serbian borderland. The provenance analyses carried out so far prove that the amber found there is of Baltic origin. Observations from the typological overview of amber artefacts, as well as bronze and ceramic finds cooccurring with them, have been compared with the results of recent analyses of the origin of copper and tin used in the production of bronze. Based on these observations, it can be concluded that amber reached the Central Balkans via the Tumulus Culture communities from Central Europe and the Carpathian Basin along the exchange routes of raw metals and bronze products.
Community archaeology is becoming an increasingly important way of conducting archaeological research in many countries all around the world. This article concerns the scientific project entitled “Science for Society, Society for Science at the Site of National Remembrance in Łambinowice” which is a place where various prisoners of war and resettlement camps functioned between 1870 and 1946. The main idea of the project was set in the interpretation framework of community archaeology that approaches the practice of the discipline as a form of social interaction between science and local communities. In the first part of the paper, the main assumptions, goals and research methods used during the first season of field research in 2022 at the Site of National Remembrance in Łambinowice are presented. The second part defines the very idea of community archaeology and its social potential. The application and benefits of making in practice the idea of community archaeology during interdisciplinary research at the Site of National Remembrance in Łambinowice comprises the final section of this text. Thus, this paper aims to present archaeology as a social practice inherently rooted in the present that can be successfully implemented with the active participation of local communities and volunteers.
The article contains the results of recent research on early medieval Wolin ceramics, based on the study of sources from excavations 6/1660, 6/109 and 8, located in the Old Town, where the origins of this settlement complex are found. Based on their results, an attempt was made to reconstruct how the vessels were made and the chronology of their use was determined. The chronological assessment used a qualitative-quantitative analysis method, which is based on the assumption of temporal coincidence of sets of vessels with similar or similar sets of components constituting them. The description of the collections carried out in this way made it possible to distinguish several phases of the development the ceramics of early medieval Wolin, which correspond to the latest proposal for the periodization of this category of sources in Western Pomerania. This dating was supported by the results of radiocarbon and dendrological research.
