Archaeozoological research based on the 1159 animal remains analysis, recorded at the former locality of Nakonowo Stare village. The assemblage under studies was dated to the eighteenth-nineteenth centuries. Within typical post-consumption remains the cattle was the best represented (54%). Other species identified were pigs (19%), sheep/goats (9%), horse (11%), dog (4%), deer (0,08%), hen (0,8%) and goose (0,2%). The meat-oriented selection preferred animals unnecessary for the further breeding. The cattle kept in the eighteenth-nineteenth-century village was of the brahycerous type, 90-134 cm height, also pigs were rather small in size. The horses were more diverse, measuring 110-155 cm in the withers. Model of breeding and a meat consumption in Nakonowo Stare represented one of the three main scenarios for the domesticated stock usage in Central Europe.
The assemblage of 248 bone fragments and teeth was subjected to archaeo-zoological analysis. They were found in features 1,2, 61, 66 and 70, and dated to phases B and C of the Early Middle Ages and unearthed on site 362 in Poznań-Nowe Miasto (Tab. 2). In the assemblage of animal remains dated to phase B of the Early Middle Ages, 148 fragments in total were identified. The most frequent were those of cattle (Bos primigenius f. domestica – 43.91% – Tab. 3), followed by pigs (Sus scrofa f. domestica – 36.48%). By contrast, the least numerous group was that of the bone remains of small ruminants: mainly sheep (Ovis orientalis f. domestica) and, even less frequent, goat (Capra aegagrus f. domestica – 16.21% – Tab. 3). The last domesticated species identified was chickens (Gallus gallus f. domestica – 2.7%). Only a single bone fragment from a wild animal was recorded; it came from a roe deer (Capreolus capreolus – Tab. 3 ). The assemblage of bone remains dated to phase C contains only two identified bones. Both originated from the skeleton of a pig (Tab. 4). An analysis of the anatomical distribution of cattle remains, in line with the technical division of a carcass, showed cranial bone fragments to be the most numerous (43.07% – Tab. 7), followed by trunk bone fragments (18.46%), those of the proximal part of pelvic limbs (13.84%), proximal part of thoracic limbs and the distal part of pelvic limbs (10.76% each). In the case of pig remains, the greatest share also belonged to fragments originating from the head (Tab. 8). A relatively high incidence and percentage share also characterized bone fragments coming from the proximal part of thoracic limbs, proximal part of pelvic limbs as well as the trunk. In the case of small ruminants, head bone fragments were the most numerous. Also, several bone fragments of each of the following categories were identified: trunk, proximal parts of limbs, and the distal part of pelvic limbs (Tab. 9). The identification of the sex of animals was possible only with respect to pig remains – a single tooth from a female and two teeth from a male were recorded. The state of preservation of the animal remains from the site, specifically their advanced fragmentation, made osteometric analyses difficult. Only a few cattle bones and a single sheep bone had their metric characteristics preserved. In no case was it possible to calculate their height at shoulder level. Only the application of the point method helped estimate the morphology of the cattle used on the site in the 7th- 8th century. The results show the cattle to vary morphologically: medium-height varieties, having an estimated height at shoulder of about 108-110 cm, are mixed with tall varieties, perhaps having the characteristics of ‘primigenius’ cattle, with an estimated height of 138 cm. Most of the damage recorded on the animal bones from the site was done in the second taphonomic phase, i.e. after they had been discarded (in most cases these were traces of gnawing by dogs) (Tab. 11). A few traces left in the first phase were also identified. They included notches, traces of chopping, a hole bored in a proximal epiphysis to extract marrow (Photo 2-4), as well as traces of singeing and charring (Tab. 11). In addition, a small awl, made from a roe deer radius, was identified in the fill of the destroyed semi-dugout (inv. no. 51/09) (Tab. 11; Photo 1).
Salvage excavations on site 7 in Jordanowo revealed among others the remains of an inhumation cemetery from the 12th century. Accompanying features in the form of a horse burial and a hoard of silver coins represented pagan rites. The intentionally deposited animal remains accompanied five female burials. An almost complete horse skeleton was found in situ in feature E11 on the eastern fringes of the cemetery. The animal’s height at the withers was determined as being 138-139 cm. A horse burial of Early Medieval date was also noted at Dziekanowice (11th century). In both cases the animals were mature males (the horse from Dziekanowice was much older than that from Jordanowo); no grave furnishings or elements of the horse tackle were found. Distal phalanges were observed to be missing in both cases: from the front legs in Dziekanowice (M. Makowiecka, D. Makowiecki 1998) and from the back legs (third phalanx) in Jordanowo.
Prompted by the discovery of a small workshop producing axes of red deer antler (the so-called T-shaped axes) at Bodzia, site 1 (Kuyavia), this paper addresses the issue of the origin and chronology of the said axes. In the first place, we shall present the inventory the workshop yielded and then analyse the distribution of T-shaped axes in Europe, especially in the European Lowland, in the context of antler production of the Late Mesolithic communities of the circa Baltic zone and the southern coasts of the North Sea and also within the Early Neolithic groups in Northern Europe. We shall also recount the discussion that has recently developed around this question
The authors of the paper present the results of research, the subject of which was the inhumation burial of the Corded Ware culture from Wilczyce. The site is located on the culmination of the southern slope of a loess hill, rising directly above the valley of the Opatówka River. The grave goods consisted of: an amphora, three cups, two miniature vessels, 41 wolf tooth pendants and disc-shaped shell beads. Radiocarbon dating result on bones from the burial is 3960 ± 30 BP (Poz-80189).
The aim of this paper is to present the multidimensional characteristics of the feature number 4 at the site in Wilczyce located on the Sandomierz Upland. During exploration of the pit rich flint material, fragments of pottery vessels and animal bones were found and just above the bottom a “deposit” involved a human skull of the young female, two cattle mandibles, a sheep/goat tibia and astragalus, a damaged cattle scapula and radius, and a polishing stone were deposited. The C14 date obtained from the tooth from the cattle jaw was 3790 ± 35 BP. Based on the shape and the size of discovered feature it is possible to classify it as a typical storage pit but presence of “deposit” enable to postulate a ritual character of assemblage that reflect some kind of burial practices of the Mierzanowice culture. Rituals in the form of interring the dead or parts of their bodies can be found also in the Unietice culture so such features may indicate the emergence of a certain supra-regional and cross-cultural trend in the early Bronze Age
JavaScript is turned off in your web browser. Turn it on to take full advantage of this site, then refresh the page.