EAA2021: Abstract
Abstract is part of session #505:
Title & Content
Title:
The mystery of the century. Who were the people buried in the graves with stone settings in medieval Poland?
Content:
About a hundred years ago, archaeologists became interested in and began to study specific cemeteries present in central and eastern Poland. They were characterized by a characteristic structure of graves with stone settings and very rich equipment, including made of silver ornaments, weapons, clay, wooden and bronze vessels as well as everyday objects. These cemeteries were established and used in the Middle Ages between the beginning of the 11th and the beginning of the 13th century. Their occurrence was limited mainly to two regions of Mazovia and Podlachia, and they were usually recorded near the strongholds.
The specific form of these cemeteries from the very beginning of research on them raised questions about the origins of the people who created and used them. Some researchers believed that these are the graves of the local Slavic people. However, among a large group of archaeologists, the view was also adopted that in these cemeteries were buried the newcomers from Scandinavia, who were settled in these places by the Piast rulers. In turn, another group of researchers proposed that in this type of cemeteries were buried people of Baltic origin.
As part of the Populus Masoviae Madii Aevi project, an attempt was made to answer the question of who were and where came from the people buried in medieval cemeteries with stone settings in Poland. It was decided to try to answer this question, on the one hand, by re-examining the funeral rite and funerary equipment, and on the other hand, by using the results of analyses of stable strontium and oxygen isotopes. The results of these studies and analyzes will be presented during the presentation.
The specific form of these cemeteries from the very beginning of research on them raised questions about the origins of the people who created and used them. Some researchers believed that these are the graves of the local Slavic people. However, among a large group of archaeologists, the view was also adopted that in these cemeteries were buried the newcomers from Scandinavia, who were settled in these places by the Piast rulers. In turn, another group of researchers proposed that in this type of cemeteries were buried people of Baltic origin.
As part of the Populus Masoviae Madii Aevi project, an attempt was made to answer the question of who were and where came from the people buried in medieval cemeteries with stone settings in Poland. It was decided to try to answer this question, on the one hand, by re-examining the funeral rite and funerary equipment, and on the other hand, by using the results of analyses of stable strontium and oxygen isotopes. The results of these studies and analyzes will be presented during the presentation.
Keywords:
Middle Ages, Graves with stone settings, Isotopes analyses, Mobility and origines studies
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authors
Main authors:
Dariusz Blaszczyk1
Co-author:
Affiliations:
1 Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw