EN
The cemetery at Radom (Site 4) was discovered in 1923 on a rise of terrain situated near the River Mleczna, in the neighbourhood of the stronghold (the so-called Piotrówka), between present-day ul. Limanowskiego and ul. Przechodnia. Since then, excavation works have been undertaken at this site for several times. The most extensive excavations were carried out in 1966. In their course 82 graves were discovered, including two interesting burials which are discussed in this paper. The chronological framework of the cemetery can be defined as the 11th and the 12th c., based on numismatic finds, other furnishings as well as forms of graves. The hill itself was an attractive topographic point for centuries. It was already the population of the Cloche Grave Culture that buried their dead in this place. In the Early Middle Ages a settlement came to being here, and later on this place was used as a cemetery. In two Early Medieval burials (Nos. 45 and 62), situated alongside each other, apart from elements of grave furnishings which were typical for this period, finds of earlier date were discovered as well. Finds from Grave 45 (Fig. 1), which contained a skeleton of a woman (?) who died at the adultus age (22¬30), included i.a. a brass ring, an iron fire striker, an iron knife and a silver coin. The latter was minted in 1000¬1030. Some dozen sherds of clay vessels and slag come from the fill of the grave pit. Ca. 70 cm behind the cranium a small oblong artefact was found. It proved to be a damag¬ed iron belt-end fitting from the Roman Period (Fig. 3). This find belongs to Type 10 of Group V, according to the publication devoted to this part of dress by R. Madyda-Legutko (2011). On the other hand, finds from Grave 62 (a woman, juvenis) included i.a. two bronze S-shaped temple rings, four bronze and one silver ring, a few glass beads, bronze kaptorgas, two small fittings made of bronze, as well as kernels of wine grape (Fig. 2). A clay vessel was placed on the elbow of the left arm of the deceased woman. Above the bones of the left arm, at the level of the hip, burnt iron finds of earlier date were discovered: a rivet and a buckle. The latter (Figs. 4 and 5) is clearly related to Type H17 according to Madyda-Legutko (1987), with regard to the shape of its chape and its size. Buckles of this type are gen¬erally dated to the early phase of the Migration Period. There are several possibilities of the occurrence of the discussed belt elements and the rivet in Early Medieval burials. Analogies from the Roman and the Migration Periods, the fact that the buckle and the rivet were burnt, the location of the finds in the grave pit as well as the close neighbourhood of Graves 45 and 62 allow for an assumption that these artefacts found their way to the grave pits in an incidental manner, from damaged cremation burials of earlier date, which existed at Site 4. Such an interpretation is supported by the fact that the belt-end fitting was discovered far behind the head ofthe dead, almost at the edge ofthe grave pit. on the other hand, the buckle and the rivet were found above the bones of the left arm, a few centi¬metres from the pelvis of the buried woman. This may also imply an intentional deposition. obviously, it cannot be excluded that these artefacts also come from destroyed ear¬lier burials of the Przeworsk Culture. The fact that these finds were burnt may be considered as a proof for the rela¬tion of the buckle and the rivet to a cremation burial. on the other hand, as the belt-end fitting was not burnt, it may have been related to an inhumation burial. No graves ofthe Przeworsk Culture were discovered either at Site 4 or in its vicinity. However, due to the degree of destruction of the cemetery and the level of urbanisation of this part of the city, an existence of such a necropolis in this place cannot be definitely excluded. The discussed archaica may have also been acquired elsewhere by users of the cemetery at Radom. These artefacts may have been treated by their discoverers as objets trouves - as amulets or in another non-utilitarian way. It was perhaps in such a role that these artefacts were meant to be used for funeral purposes (see below). Deposition of artefacts from earlier periods in graves is a relatively common practice in the Middle Ages; however, we have not found any data on other burials with finds which are analogous to those from Radom so far. on the other hand, buckles and belt fittings with analogous chronology are known i.a. from Anglo-Saxon burials of the 5th-6th c. and from Merovingian Period graves in the terri¬tory of Germany. Among artefacts from the Roman and the Migration Periods which are found in Early Medieval burials in the Polish lands, we can first of all mention fibulae, glass beads and coins. It must be said that numerous artefacts ofarchaic date were deposited intentionally in Early Medieval graves. Such finds usually occurred individually (apart from sherds of prehistoric vessels and flint artefacts). This tendency can be seen not only in the Polish lands, but also at cemeteries in other regions of Europe. Against this background one of the burials from Radom (Grave 62) stands out, as it con¬tains the buckle and the rivet. Based on our hitherto considerations it can be said that in the Polish lands archaica in Early Medieval contexts are relatively rare finds. If we suppose that the discussed finds did not find their way to the graves incidentally, but were deposit¬ed there as broadly understood grave goods, we must con¬sider two equally probable ways of their acquisition. These artefacts were picked from the ground either as incidental finds or in result of intentional search. The issue of reasons for interest in archaica remains open, although it is possible that their unique forms and ways of manufacture attracted one’s attention. On the one hand, such traits must have provoked anxiety, as marked with the stigma of otherness. On the other hand, these traits were seen as power, which could prove useful. One should therefore take into account a magical significance of archaica, which probably first of all served as amulets. The presence ofexamined artefacts in graves (as well as in other Early Medieval features) allows to detect a universal need for a contact with otherness. This otherness, however, provoked contradictory feelings. Referring to the philosophy of religion according to R. Otto (1993), one can use the terms of tremendum and fascinans, which best define the attitude towards holiness (numinosum). In the discussed case, it manifests in culturally “strange” artefacts. From this point of view, the question whether the discussed finds were property of the dead and were used by them during their life or were deposited in the grave only during the funeral as a gift in the literal sense, seems to be of secondary importance.