Rejowiec flint from the Chełm Hills occur among glacigenic sediments of the Odranian glaciation a... more Rejowiec flint from the Chełm Hills occur among glacigenic sediments of the Odranian glaciation and is referred to as erratic flints. The authors, based on the analysis of the sedimentary succession of a kame in Lechówka – within the boundaries of the largest outcrop, in so-called ‘Region I’ (Rejowiec region) – indicate that: (1) the probable source of the flints were older series of glacigenic sediments – from before the Odranian glaciation, (2) their great accumulation directly under the surface and – as a result – their considerable accessibility for exploitation in prehistory were caused by the ‘upfreezing of stones’ in the conditions of a periglacial environment during successive glacial periods (Odranian, Wartanian and Vistulian glaciations). The analysis of archaeological data confirmed the use of the local flints as early as in the Middle Palaeolithic and their most intense exploitation during two main periods – the final stage of the Palaeolithic and a period from the Late ...
Neolithic flint mines are well-studied in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. However their spatial st... more Neolithic flint mines are well-studied in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. However their spatial structure and diachronic history is still poorly understood especially due to the poor preservation of the mine relief on the surface. The paper presents results of ALS data analyses conducted on the Dąbrówka-I site which is the first Prehistoric flint mine in the region that has been studied recently on the basis of the surface relief. LiDAR analyses combined with technological analyses of collected cores gave us grounds to identify two phases of flint mining at the site dated to Lengyel-Polgar cycle and Late Bronze Age-Early Iron Age. The obtained results show the extent to which a multiproxy non-destructive approach may give ground for in depth studies of flint mines.
The article is an attempt to create a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of distribution of... more The article is an attempt to create a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of distribution of Turonian flints sourced on the north-eastern margin of the Holy Cross Mountains and to determine their actual participation and importance in the overall system of flint raw materials economy of the earliest Danubian communities residing both sides of the Carpathians. The research confirms the existence during the Linear Pottery Culture development period of a system of multidirectional and far-reaching distribution of this group of lithic resources (especially, Świeciechów flint), proceeding within a few basic, intermediate stages, characterized by a different form of the inflow, and by the extent to which these materials were processed within individual clusters of settlement. The analysis of the territorial dispersion of the finds, taking into account the stylistic diversity of ceramics discovered in the same context, indicates also the existence of telling distinct differences in the direction, intensity and forms of distribution of Świeciechów flint during the oldest, middle and younger stage of development of the Linear Pottery Culture. These differences are a reflection of some much more general phenomena and cultural transformations taking place in the upper basin of the Vistula River at the turn of 6th and 5th millennia BC.
Libera J., Dobrowolski R., Szeliga M. and Wiśniewski T. 2014. Flints in glacigenic sediments of t... more Libera J., Dobrowolski R., Szeliga M. and Wiśniewski T. 2014. Flints in glacigenic sediments of the Chełm Hills, Eastern Poland. Prehistory and geology. Sprawozdania Archeologiczne 66, 57–82. Chełm Hills is an area situated on the northern periphery of the Lublin Upland in the eastern part of Poland. It is a mesoregion covering about 722 square kilometres. Monadnocks and hillocks reaching the relative altitudes up to 300 metres above see level, which are towering above the sandy of peaty plains are characteristic to this area. They are built of Cretaceous formations covered with layers of the Tertiary sandstones of varying thickness. Within them lies the Cretaceous flint raw material, which macroscopically is often similar to siliceous rocks occurring in the neighbouring areas of Volhynia, Volhynian Polesie and Podlasie. Current verification work has revealed mostly Prehistoric sites, documenting settlement from the Middle Palaeolithic to the end of the Bronze Age. Among these, the ...
Due to the presence of multiple caves and rock shelters as well as flint outcrops, Ojcow Upland ... more Due to the presence of multiple caves and rock shelters as well as flint outcrops, Ojcow Upland is a region with an exceptionally high concentration of prehistoric human settlement traces. It has attracted archaeologists for over 150 years, leading to what was considered to have been a proper prospection of the area. Nonetheless, the analysis of airborne laser scanning has recently brought surprising results. In the very centre of the upland, on the densely forested hill ‘Złota Gora’ (Golden Hill), the remains of an exceptionally large defensive structure in the form of several rows of embankments were found. The use of magnetic methods made it possible to confirm their anthropogenic origin and the likely type of embankment construction. In turn, the layout of embankments combined with the results of a surface survey and the analyses of the acquired artefacts and the settlement context speak in favour of linking this defensive structure with a high degree of probability with the Neolithic or Eneolithic, most likely the Lengyel-Polgar cycle or Baden culture. The presence of such a large fortification in the immediate vicinity of flint mines could shed new light on the image of the Late Neolithic-Early/Middle Eneolithic period in this part of Europe.
In the light of the present findings from Pagory Chelmskie the flint deposited on the surface occ... more In the light of the present findings from Pagory Chelmskie the flint deposited on the surface occurs in two types. One type often resembles the shaft varieties from Volhynia, Podolia and Volhynian Polesie, or even Podlasie. Most Final Palaeolithic finds represent the settlements of cultures with point-tools tradition, mostly Swiderian Culture, some of them are connected with an undetermined culture with backed points, one site with the inventories of magdalenian Culture.
There are 171 sites known from the interfluvial of the Vistula and Bug Rivers that attest to sett... more There are 171 sites known from the interfluvial of the Vistula and Bug Rivers that attest to settling it between the Gniechowice and early Želiezovce phases of the Linear Pottery culture (LBK). The earliest finds concentrate only in the south-eastern part of this area, mainly in the Hrubieszów Basin. The intensification of settlement occurred in the music-note phase, along with the colonisation of the whole Lublin region and the emergence of the settlement oecumene proper. It mainly encompassed the loess zones and was a network of clusters located along small and medium rivers. Their development is corroborated, e.g., by traces of far-reaching, multidirectional contacts. The current state of research limits the scope of interpretations concerning the development of individual settlement clusters (especially the chronology and scope of the development of the LBK and the character and scale of colonisation and economic activity). Field research needs to be intensified to obtain new ar...
This article is an attempt to initially characterize the oldest phase of the LBK in the Lublin re... more This article is an attempt to initially characterize the oldest phase of the LBK in the Lublin region, or more precisely – within its eastern part, where all related discoveries are concentrated. The main point of reference is the inventory discovered in 2011-2012 in Świerszczów (Hrubieszów Basin), which is currently the largest homogenous collection originating from this region, related to the early phase of the LBK. The artefacts described herein, as well as the stylistic differentiation of other similarly dated ceramic inventories from the eastern Lublin region (and from neighbouring Volhynia) currently allow us to distinguish two essential stages of the colonisation of this area in the oldest phase of the Neolithic. The older stage corresponds to the Gniechowice-Milanovce horizon (moderte and ephemeral settlement), and younger (Zofipole style), should be correlated with the Moravian phase Ib, including at least the younger section of its development (sub-phase Ib2).
Abstract Although multiple Mesolithic cave sites have been recognised in Europe, the use of such ... more Abstract Although multiple Mesolithic cave sites have been recognised in Europe, the use of such sites by Early Holocene hunter gatherers was extremely scarce north of the Carpathians. Single Mesolithic artefacts have been found thus far only in six cave sites in Poland. The rich Early Mesolithic assemblage found in Bramka Rockshelter in southern Poland seems to be quite extraordinary in such a context. The site was excavated over 50 years ago, but the results have never been published or analysed beyond a short mention of child burial found in the Mesolithic context. The paper presents new radiocarbon dates obtained for the Mesolithic occupation and the child burial, showing the Early Holocene chronology of the Komornician assemblage and the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age chronology of the burial. The assemblage's techno-typological analysis allowed us to identify six human occupation phases at the site, with the most intensive phase connected to the Mesolithic. Comparative analyses of other Mesolithic assemblages from the region, together with an extremely high percentage of debitage found in the Bramka Rockshelter assemblage, allow us to discuss the possibility of identifying the site as a knapping workshop located in the vicinity of Jurassic flint outcrops.
The inflow of the Carpathian obsidian into the areas on the northern side of the Carpathians and ... more The inflow of the Carpathian obsidian into the areas on the northern side of the Carpathians and the Sudetes is confirmed as early as in the Palaeolithic. However, its greatest intensity occurred in the Early Neolithic, i. e. in the late 6th and in the first half of 5th millennia BC. During that period, the phenomenon was closely related with the development of the Danubian cultural groups in the upper Vistula river basin, including especially Linear Pottery culture (LBK) and Malice Culture. The constant presence of this raw material products in mentioned areas is documented from the classical (musical-note) phase of LBK, constituting one of the most expressive pieces of evidence of permanent and intense intercultural contacts with communities of the northern Carpathian Basin. This phenomenon has been repeatedly emphasized in the literature. One of the most numerous LBK obsidian inventories in the upper Vistula river basin was obtained at site 6 in Tominy, located in southern Poland...
Rejowiec flint from the Chełm Hills occur among glacigenic sediments of the Odranian glaciation a... more Rejowiec flint from the Chełm Hills occur among glacigenic sediments of the Odranian glaciation and is referred to as erratic flints. The authors, based on the analysis of the sedimentary succession of a kame in Lechówka – within the boundaries of the largest outcrop, in so-called ‘Region I’ (Rejowiec region) – indicate that: (1) the probable source of the flints were older series of glacigenic sediments – from before the Odranian glaciation, (2) their great accumulation directly under the surface and – as a result – their considerable accessibility for exploitation in prehistory were caused by the ‘upfreezing of stones’ in the conditions of a periglacial environment during successive glacial periods (Odranian, Wartanian and Vistulian glaciations). The analysis of archaeological data confirmed the use of the local flints as early as in the Middle Palaeolithic and their most intense exploitation during two main periods – the final stage of the Palaeolithic and a period from the Late ...
Neolithic flint mines are well-studied in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. However their spatial st... more Neolithic flint mines are well-studied in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. However their spatial structure and diachronic history is still poorly understood especially due to the poor preservation of the mine relief on the surface. The paper presents results of ALS data analyses conducted on the Dąbrówka-I site which is the first Prehistoric flint mine in the region that has been studied recently on the basis of the surface relief. LiDAR analyses combined with technological analyses of collected cores gave us grounds to identify two phases of flint mining at the site dated to Lengyel-Polgar cycle and Late Bronze Age-Early Iron Age. The obtained results show the extent to which a multiproxy non-destructive approach may give ground for in depth studies of flint mines.
The article is an attempt to create a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of distribution of... more The article is an attempt to create a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of distribution of Turonian flints sourced on the north-eastern margin of the Holy Cross Mountains and to determine their actual participation and importance in the overall system of flint raw materials economy of the earliest Danubian communities residing both sides of the Carpathians. The research confirms the existence during the Linear Pottery Culture development period of a system of multidirectional and far-reaching distribution of this group of lithic resources (especially, Świeciechów flint), proceeding within a few basic, intermediate stages, characterized by a different form of the inflow, and by the extent to which these materials were processed within individual clusters of settlement. The analysis of the territorial dispersion of the finds, taking into account the stylistic diversity of ceramics discovered in the same context, indicates also the existence of telling distinct differences in the direction, intensity and forms of distribution of Świeciechów flint during the oldest, middle and younger stage of development of the Linear Pottery Culture. These differences are a reflection of some much more general phenomena and cultural transformations taking place in the upper basin of the Vistula River at the turn of 6th and 5th millennia BC.
Libera J., Dobrowolski R., Szeliga M. and Wiśniewski T. 2014. Flints in glacigenic sediments of t... more Libera J., Dobrowolski R., Szeliga M. and Wiśniewski T. 2014. Flints in glacigenic sediments of the Chełm Hills, Eastern Poland. Prehistory and geology. Sprawozdania Archeologiczne 66, 57–82. Chełm Hills is an area situated on the northern periphery of the Lublin Upland in the eastern part of Poland. It is a mesoregion covering about 722 square kilometres. Monadnocks and hillocks reaching the relative altitudes up to 300 metres above see level, which are towering above the sandy of peaty plains are characteristic to this area. They are built of Cretaceous formations covered with layers of the Tertiary sandstones of varying thickness. Within them lies the Cretaceous flint raw material, which macroscopically is often similar to siliceous rocks occurring in the neighbouring areas of Volhynia, Volhynian Polesie and Podlasie. Current verification work has revealed mostly Prehistoric sites, documenting settlement from the Middle Palaeolithic to the end of the Bronze Age. Among these, the ...
Due to the presence of multiple caves and rock shelters as well as flint outcrops, Ojcow Upland ... more Due to the presence of multiple caves and rock shelters as well as flint outcrops, Ojcow Upland is a region with an exceptionally high concentration of prehistoric human settlement traces. It has attracted archaeologists for over 150 years, leading to what was considered to have been a proper prospection of the area. Nonetheless, the analysis of airborne laser scanning has recently brought surprising results. In the very centre of the upland, on the densely forested hill ‘Złota Gora’ (Golden Hill), the remains of an exceptionally large defensive structure in the form of several rows of embankments were found. The use of magnetic methods made it possible to confirm their anthropogenic origin and the likely type of embankment construction. In turn, the layout of embankments combined with the results of a surface survey and the analyses of the acquired artefacts and the settlement context speak in favour of linking this defensive structure with a high degree of probability with the Neolithic or Eneolithic, most likely the Lengyel-Polgar cycle or Baden culture. The presence of such a large fortification in the immediate vicinity of flint mines could shed new light on the image of the Late Neolithic-Early/Middle Eneolithic period in this part of Europe.
In the light of the present findings from Pagory Chelmskie the flint deposited on the surface occ... more In the light of the present findings from Pagory Chelmskie the flint deposited on the surface occurs in two types. One type often resembles the shaft varieties from Volhynia, Podolia and Volhynian Polesie, or even Podlasie. Most Final Palaeolithic finds represent the settlements of cultures with point-tools tradition, mostly Swiderian Culture, some of them are connected with an undetermined culture with backed points, one site with the inventories of magdalenian Culture.
There are 171 sites known from the interfluvial of the Vistula and Bug Rivers that attest to sett... more There are 171 sites known from the interfluvial of the Vistula and Bug Rivers that attest to settling it between the Gniechowice and early Želiezovce phases of the Linear Pottery culture (LBK). The earliest finds concentrate only in the south-eastern part of this area, mainly in the Hrubieszów Basin. The intensification of settlement occurred in the music-note phase, along with the colonisation of the whole Lublin region and the emergence of the settlement oecumene proper. It mainly encompassed the loess zones and was a network of clusters located along small and medium rivers. Their development is corroborated, e.g., by traces of far-reaching, multidirectional contacts. The current state of research limits the scope of interpretations concerning the development of individual settlement clusters (especially the chronology and scope of the development of the LBK and the character and scale of colonisation and economic activity). Field research needs to be intensified to obtain new ar...
This article is an attempt to initially characterize the oldest phase of the LBK in the Lublin re... more This article is an attempt to initially characterize the oldest phase of the LBK in the Lublin region, or more precisely – within its eastern part, where all related discoveries are concentrated. The main point of reference is the inventory discovered in 2011-2012 in Świerszczów (Hrubieszów Basin), which is currently the largest homogenous collection originating from this region, related to the early phase of the LBK. The artefacts described herein, as well as the stylistic differentiation of other similarly dated ceramic inventories from the eastern Lublin region (and from neighbouring Volhynia) currently allow us to distinguish two essential stages of the colonisation of this area in the oldest phase of the Neolithic. The older stage corresponds to the Gniechowice-Milanovce horizon (moderte and ephemeral settlement), and younger (Zofipole style), should be correlated with the Moravian phase Ib, including at least the younger section of its development (sub-phase Ib2).
Abstract Although multiple Mesolithic cave sites have been recognised in Europe, the use of such ... more Abstract Although multiple Mesolithic cave sites have been recognised in Europe, the use of such sites by Early Holocene hunter gatherers was extremely scarce north of the Carpathians. Single Mesolithic artefacts have been found thus far only in six cave sites in Poland. The rich Early Mesolithic assemblage found in Bramka Rockshelter in southern Poland seems to be quite extraordinary in such a context. The site was excavated over 50 years ago, but the results have never been published or analysed beyond a short mention of child burial found in the Mesolithic context. The paper presents new radiocarbon dates obtained for the Mesolithic occupation and the child burial, showing the Early Holocene chronology of the Komornician assemblage and the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age chronology of the burial. The assemblage's techno-typological analysis allowed us to identify six human occupation phases at the site, with the most intensive phase connected to the Mesolithic. Comparative analyses of other Mesolithic assemblages from the region, together with an extremely high percentage of debitage found in the Bramka Rockshelter assemblage, allow us to discuss the possibility of identifying the site as a knapping workshop located in the vicinity of Jurassic flint outcrops.
The inflow of the Carpathian obsidian into the areas on the northern side of the Carpathians and ... more The inflow of the Carpathian obsidian into the areas on the northern side of the Carpathians and the Sudetes is confirmed as early as in the Palaeolithic. However, its greatest intensity occurred in the Early Neolithic, i. e. in the late 6th and in the first half of 5th millennia BC. During that period, the phenomenon was closely related with the development of the Danubian cultural groups in the upper Vistula river basin, including especially Linear Pottery culture (LBK) and Malice Culture. The constant presence of this raw material products in mentioned areas is documented from the classical (musical-note) phase of LBK, constituting one of the most expressive pieces of evidence of permanent and intense intercultural contacts with communities of the northern Carpathian Basin. This phenomenon has been repeatedly emphasized in the literature. One of the most numerous LBK obsidian inventories in the upper Vistula river basin was obtained at site 6 in Tominy, located in southern Poland...
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