Remains of burial pits, probably from before the 17th century, containing human remains, were discovered during renovation and restoration work under the floor of the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rzeszów.

Credit: the Rzeszów Archaeological Centre Foundation

The discovery in the basilica belonging to the Bernardines was made at the beginning of the restoration work by archaeologists from the Rzeszów Archaeological Centre Foundation. Under the removed floor, they found the remains of burial pits. According to Dariusz Bobak, they are associated with the former cemetery, which was located in the place of the present church before its construction, before the beginning of the 17th century.

During the study of burial pits, archaeologists found valuable monuments, including fragments of ceramics, nails, coins and bones.

"Uncovering two crypts, including one previously unknown, was extremely important. The larger crypt, located on the southern side of the transept, consists of several rooms. At least five people were buried there. Their remains were placed in coffins in an upright position, with hands folded in prayer" - says Bobak.

Anthropologist Joanna Rogóż says that these are bones of 4 adults, including at least one young person, about 25 years old, as well as one small child, possibly a newborn. Two skulls were cut across, which means that the deceased were members of a higher social class.

In addition to fragments of coffins, elements of costumes and a Rosary have also been preserved.

Credit: the Rzeszów Archaeological Centre Foundation

In the second, smaller crypt, located on the opposite side, archaeologists discovered the remains of several coffins, probably also filled with bones. This crypt has not been explored yet.

According to Bobak, these crypts are younger, built in the present church, meaning that they date back no farther than the seventeenth century.

The human remains and coffins found in the crypts will be subjected to further analyses, which will allow to determine the age, sex and physical condition of the buried people.

Bobak believes that although archaeological research conducted in the St. Bernardine church in Rzeszów is only in its initial phase, it has already provided a lot of important information.

"First of all, it substantiates the information about the existence of a wooden church that preceded the basilica. The study of the crypts could allow to connect the deceased with historical figures" - the archaeologist explains.

Credit: the Rzeszów Archaeological Centre Foundation

Father Rafał Klimas, the custodian of the sanctuary, reminds that ordinary people were not buried in churches. Such burials were reserved for more distinguished members of the community, such as founders, abbots and priors. He says that these could be the remains of the Lubomirskis or the Ligęzas.

Burial pits were found during the second phase of renovation and restoration work in the basilica that includes floors and polychromies on the walls. The discoveries under the floor are a surprise, because archaeologists did not expect to find burial pits predating the temple.

The total cost of the renovation and conservation project in the basilica is PLN 3.6 million. Work will continue until the end of October.

The Rzeszów Archaeological Centre Foundation was established in 2004. Its basic activity is conducting archaeological research in the areas under conservation protection.

The foundation also carries out projects financed under the priority "Protection of archaeological heritage" of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. It is a sponsor and co-organizer of the national competition for the best master's thesis in archaeology.

Author: Agnieszka Pipała | Source: PAP - Science in Poland [March 01, 2018]

About 34,000 years ago, a group of hunters and gatherers buried their dead — including two boys with physical conditions — using the utmost care. However, these dead were buried in fairly different ways, a new study finds.

About 34,000 years ago, people buried these two young boys head to head. The boys are covered with mammoth ivory beads  and pierced fox canines. They're also lying next to ivory spears, one of which has a disk on it, the researchers noted [Credit: Illustration by K. Gavrilov; Photos by N.O. Bader, Antiquity 2018]

The roughly 10- and 12-year-old boys were buried head to head in a long, slender grave filled with riches, including more than 10,000 mammoth ivory beads, more than 20 armbands, about 300 pierced fox teeth, 16 ivory mammoth spears, carved artwork, deer antlers and two human fibulas (calf bones) laid across the boys' chests, the researchers said.

In contrast, the remains of a roughly 40-year-old man, an individual who would have had more time and physical ability to contribute to the group, had far fewer treasures: about 3,000 mammoth ivory beads, 12 pierced fox canines, 25 mammoth ivory arm bands and a stone pendant.

"From the point of view of the mortuary behavior, the burial of the adult is, in fact, very different from the burial of the children," study co-lead researcher Erik Trinkaus, a professor of anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis, told Live Science.

Sunghir burials

Researchers have known about the Sunghir burials for about half a century. The burials, which date to the Mid Upper Palaeolithic, are located on the northeast outskirts of Vladimir, Russia, and were excavated from 1957 to 1977.

Like other burials from the Palaeolithic, the bodies at Sunghir are covered with red ochre. This colored photomontage  shows the remains of a roughly 40-year-old man who is covered with mammoth ivory beads. It's likely that the beads were sewn onto the man's clothing, which has since decayed [Credit: Illustration by K. Favrilov; Antiquity 2018]

When these hunters and gatherers lived, about 34,000 years ago, the region was going through a slightly warmer period than the ice ages before and after it, the researchers noted. The warmer weather explains, in part, how these ancient people were able to dig graves in what would have otherwise been frozen ground, the researchers added.

In total, there are 10 men and women buried at Sunghir, but the two boys have, by far, the most spectacular riches of the lot, the researchers said. The boys also have physical conditions that likely limited the individuals during their short lives.

Both boys experienced repeated periods of extreme stress, according to an analysis of their dental enamel, the study said. What's more, the 10-year-old boy's thighbones are "exceptionally bowed and short," Trinkaus and co-lead researcher Alexandra Buzhilova, an anthropologist at Lomonosov Moscow State University, in Russia, wrote in the study. But otherwise, the young boy was physically active, an analysis of his skeleton showed.

Photos showing the adult man and his ochre-stained skull. Notice an incision in his neck vertebra (white arrow) - an injury that likely led to his immediate death [Credit: N.O. Bader and E. Trinkaus; Antiquity 2018]

Meanwhile, the 12-year-old boy's teeth had almost no wear, "which, to us, doesn't sound like much, but people from this time wore their teeth down quickly," Trinkaus said. Analyses of his skeleton indicate that the boy was bedridden, Trinkaus added.

It's possible the group was feeding the 12-year-old boy soft foods, such as porridge, but "it is really bizarre to have an individual who looks like he was bedridden in a group of hunters and gatherers who were extremely mobile," Trinkaus said.

Respectful burials

These two boys aren't the only people with disabilities known to have received burials during this time period. "Indeed, in the Mid Upper Palaeolithic, individuals with marked developmental or degenerative abnormalities are relatively common in the burial record, accounting for a third of the sufficiently well-preserved individuals," the researchers wrote in the study.

The 12-year-old boy didn't have much wear on his teeth (top left and bottom left), indicating that he likely ate soft foods that didn't require much grinding. He also had a skull with an unusual shape, the researchers said. The thighbones of the 10-year-old boy (right) were short and bowed [Credit: E. Trinkaus; Antiquity 2018]

However, it was slightly less common for youngsters to receive such a burial during this period, the researchers said.

What really caught the researchers' attention was the diversity of the burial artifacts. Some people had only a few fox canines and mammoth ivory beads, while other individuals didn't have anything. This indicates social complexity, because it shows that people were treated differently in death, and probably in life, too, Trinkaus said.

The 10-year-old boy had ivory beads and ochre on the upper part of his hip bones, known as the  ilia. Next to it is the thighbone of an adult that was placed in the 12-year-old boy's grave [Credit: E. Trinkaus; Antiquity 2018]

The finding shows that you didn't have to be a "big, adult male hunter" to get an extravagant burial during the Mid Upper Palaeolithic, said Lawrence Straus, a distinguished professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of New Mexico, who wasn't involved with the study.

"In this case, adolescents — people with disabilities or pathologies that would have limited their full functioning — are getting some amazing treatment," Straus told Live Science.

The study was published in the journal Antiquity.

Author: Laura Geggel | Source: LiveScience [February 20, 2018]

This unique Venus, dating from the final Neolithic or the first phase of the Chalcolithic, was found thanks to preventive excavations linked to the imminent construction of a ring road in the Silesian capital. Only the lower part of the statuette, with legs, accentuated hips and belly, has survived. The terracotta torso measures about six centimetres.

The Venus d' Opava [Credit: CT24]

According to archaeologists of the local branch of the Academy of Sciences, the statuette, created around 4,200 BC by the people of Lengyel's culture, covering mainly Hungary, Slovakia and Upper Silesia, served as a pagan cult object. For archaeologist Kateřina Papáková, the dig manager, it is an exceptional discovery: "Several torsos of Palaeolithic female statuettes were discovered in the 1980s in Velké Hoštice, in the region of Opava. But these torsos differ from our Venus in their form. The statuette we discovered bears features of Eastern European cultures, specifically the Trypillia culture of the territory of present-day Ukraine."

The Venus d' Opava, which looks like the famous Venus de Věstonice, the oldest ceramic figurine in the world discovered in South Moravia, is less robust than the other female statuettes found in the Czech territory.

The Venus d' Opava [Credit: CT24]

The discovery of the figurine is the fruit of chance. The excavations in Opava, during which archaeologists uncovered part of a prehistoric settlement, including four buried huts, were completed last October. Archaeologists at the Academy of Sciences have found a multitude of objects on the site, such as ceramic fragments, various tools and weights for fishing nets. Covered with a good layer of mud, the prehistoric statuette was not discovered until last week, however, when the cataloguing of the finds took place.

"During the course of this year, the statuette will be subjected to various analyses" explains Kateřina Papáková. "We also want to make a three-dimensional model using a 3D scanner. And as of next year, the Venus, as well as other objects found during excavations, could be on display to the public."

Source: Czech Radio [February 12, 2018]

Archaeologists found the an unusual knife during last year's excavations in the early medieval fortified settlement in Pasym, in the northern Polish district of Szczycień.

The medieval scribe's knife from Pasym [Credit: S. Wadyl]

"This is the only Prussian settlement with such an early metric, it dates back to the 7th-9th century,"  says Dr. Sławomir Wadyl from the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw, who conducted excavations in Pasym together within Kacper Martyka from the Museum of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn.

The knife was discovered in a hearth inside a residential building. According to Dr. Wadyl, the tool is less than 10 cm in length. What distinguishes the knife from other objects of this type, is the presence of two blades - a longer blade (measuring 4.2cm) and a shorter one (measuring 2.7cm), which could be used interchangeably. Both blades were formed by cutting off the back. Based on other objects found in its vicinity, archaeologists estimate that the knife comes from the 8th-9th century.

"No similar object has been found in Poland until now. The search for similar artefacts led us to the British Isles, where rotary knives are quite typical for this period. The objects discovered there, as well as in Frisia and Norway, are similar to our find," said Dr. Wadyl. According to him, it is surprising that until now similar objects have not been found in the Polish lands, in the areas associated with either the Slavs or the Balts.

Researchers believe that knives of this type were used by scribes in their work. Two different precision blades could be used to create manuscripts - such tools are among the instruments frequently depicted in the images of scribes found on miniatures from the era.

"On this basis, we know that knives with a variety of blades accompanied all stages of manuscript creation: they were used to cut parchment, mark lines, control the shape of letters and erase mistakes," says Dr. Wadyl.

"It appears that they were originally used by scribes, but with time they were probably adapted by other crafts that required precision, where the possibilities offered by knives with two different blades were extremely desirable. So they could be used for processing leather, wood or bones," says the archaeologist. Evidence of antler processing was found within the building where the knife was discovered.

According to Wadyl, it is difficult to say whether the knife had been brought from Scandinavia or the British Isles, but the concept of its creation clearly indicates this origin.

Less similar specimens of rotary knives have been discovered by archaeologists in Belarus and Estonia, but they are several hundred years younger than the one from Pasym.

Author: Szymon Zdziebłowski | Source: PAP - Science in Poland [January 28, 2018]

During their expeditions against the various barbarian tribes, the Roman armies reached the territory of the present city of Brno. This is at least the conclusion of recent archaeological excavations that have brought to light a Roman camp dating from the second century AD in the capital of Moravia.

Credit: Archaia Brno

This is an important discovery for Moravian archaeology, and not only. Archaeologists in Brno have found, thanks to preventive excavations related to the upcoming construction of two new houses, the very first trace of the presence of Roman soldiers in the city. The remains of the former military camp are located on Vojtova Street, not far from the center of the metropolis. The archaeologist Václav Kolařík of the company Archaia, in charge of these excavations, presents the find:

Credit: Archaia Brno

"This camp dates from the time of the Marcomannic Wars. Between the years 166 and 180 of our era, the Romans were at war with Germanic tribes of the Middle Danube. This camp was built during the Roman offensive, between 172 and 180."

Credit: Archaia Brno

During the second century, the devastation caused by the invasions of the barbaric peoples, especially the Germanic tribes, in the Roman Empire forced the Roman armies, under the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, to go to Barbaricum, a territory beyond the control of Rome. Several military camps were thus also built in the territory of present-day Moravia, the eastern part of the Czech Republic, inhabited at the time by the Marcomanni and Quadi.

Credit: Archaia Brno

In the past, a Roman camp was discovered in the town of Modřice, not far from Brno. It is, however, mainly the region of Břeclav, in South Moravia, which was the theatre of Roman expeditions against the Barbarians.

Credit: Archaia Brno

"On their way north of the Danube, the Romans built camps that ensured their advance on the territory of the Barbarians. In the Czech Republic, the largest concentration of these camps lies near the lakes of Nové Mlýny, in Mušov, and then in Přibice and Ivaň. Other camps were also discovered in central Moravia, notably in Olomouc, near the towns of Kroměříž and Hulín, and in Jevíčko", explains Václav Kolařík.

Credit: Archaia Brno

Unlike the Mušov camp, where several stone buildings were built, the Brno camp served only as a temporary space of small capacity, which could not accommodate more than one unit of Roman soldiers. The tents, erected on a surface of several hundred square meters, were protected by a rampart.

Credit: Archaia Brno

"It was one of the points of support of the Romans on their way to Barbaricum. It is located on the Svratka River, near a major ford. The aim of the camp was to keep watch over this ford and thus ensure that the Roman soldiers securely advanced into the interior of the country. It also functioned as a supply station for units that had already crossed the river."

Credit: Archaia Brno

But for Václav Kolařík, this discovery has yet another important side: "In the remains of the Roman military camps, it is sometimes possible to find some objects used by the soldiers. These discoveries are however rare. In Brno, we discovered a ceramic pot, almost intact, used to prepare meals. This pot broke and the soldiers abandoned it on the spot. We also found a bronze ornament that was part of the armour of Roman legionaries."

Excavations will be completed in mid-January. All objects found will then be deposited in the Museum of the city of Brno.

Source: Czech Radio [January 13, 2018]

Deep in a swamp in the Russian republic of Tuva, SNSF-funded archaeologist Gino Caspari has discovered an undisturbed Scythian burial mound. All the evidence suggests that this is not only the largest Scythian princely tomb in South Siberia, but also the earliest – and that it may be harbouring some outstandingly well-preserved treasures.

Aerial view of the burial mound Tunnug 1 (Arzhan 0). A distinct circle can be seen on one plane  [Credit: © Gino Caspari, University of Bern]

Gino Caspari made the most significant find in his career to date not with a shovel, but at a computer. A recipient of Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) funding, archaeologist Caspari discovered a circular structure on high-resolution satellite images of the Uyuk River valley (Siberia) on his computer screen. An initial trial dig carried out this summer by the scientist of the Institute of Archeological Sciences of the University of Bern, together with the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Hermitage Museum, confirmed his suspicion: the structure is a kurgan, a Scythian princely tomb.

Looking back at the beginnings

Working with a Swiss-Russian team, Caspari was able to prove that the burial mound - referred to as Tunnug 1 (or Arzhan 0) - was similar in construction to the kurgan Arzhan 1 located only ten kilometres away to the northeast. Arzhan 1 had long been regarded as the earliest Scythian princely tomb in the region, which is also known as the "Siberian Valley of Kings" owing to the numerous kurgans found there. The earliest princely tombs consist of a stone packing with a circular arrangement of chambers. The walls of the chambers are made of larch logs. Scythian burial objects typically include weapons, horse's harnesses and objects decorated in the so-called animal style.

Wooden beams found by Caspari during the test excavation date back to the 9th century BC, predating Arzhan 1, which was built at the turn of the 9th to the 8th century BC and excavated in the 1970s. "We have a great opportunity here," says a delighted Caspari, commenting on the results of the trial dig published in the current issue of Archaeological Research in Asia.

"Archaeological methods have become considerably more sophisticated since the 1970s. Today we have completely different ways of examining material to find out more about the transition from the Late Bronze Age to the Iron Age," remarks Caspari. He also stresses that the way we look at prehistoric times is changing radically thanks to genetics, isotope analysis and geophysical methods as well as developments in geographic information systems and remote sensing.

Protective armour of ice

The Arzhan 0 burial mound is in an inaccessible location amid swampy terrain, which also makes it harder for grave robbers to reach. "The kurgan is five arduous hours by off-road vehicle from the nearest settlement," Caspari points out. As it may never have been disturbed, it could contain similar treasures to Arzhan 2. Between 2001 and 2004, a German team of archaeologists discovered an undisturbed burial chamber in Arzhan 2 containing the richest collection of burial artefacts ever found in the Eurasian steppe. Over a thousand gold objects had been placed with the two corpses in the tomb’s main chamber, in addition to magnificently adorned weapons, pots and horses with exquisite harnesses. Made of solid gold, the necklace of the Scythian prince from Arzhan 2 weighs 2 kilos alone. But the date of the burial is put at the 7th century BC, i.e. well into the Iron Age.

The climatic characteristics of the Siberian soil add to Caspari’s hopes. In the Uyuk Valley, the permafrost layer largely begins just a few metres below the surface. Everything above that thaws in summer, and organic material rots. However, beneath the thick stone packing of the kurgans, the rays of sunlight are unable to thaw out the soil. "Very rarely ice lenses form directly beneath the kurgans," explains Caspari. The ice prevents the decay of organic matter and preserves sensitive material. Caspari is expecting further finds to be unearthed in the course of the project: "If we’re lucky, we might even find some well-preserved wood carvings or carpets under the stones, or perhaps an ice mummy."

Source: University of Bern [January 11, 2018]