The author presents the circumstances of the rise and development of the conception that below the oldest cathedral church in Poznań is the site of a temporary or permanent baptistery as allegedly evidenced by a round limestone bowl. Attention is drawn to the fact that so far this conception has not been supported by analysis of the source material or a detailed study of the remains of the bowl itself or the architectural remains of the purported baptistery. The author makes a reassessment of hitherto claims and shows that the state of the source material does not allow us to uphold the hypothesis of the baptismal function of the limestone bowl from Poznań. The only hypothesis competitive to the baptismal one refers to 60 analogous objects, a majority of which are beyond doubt the remains of mechanical mortar mixers. The article shows that these examples can be treated as fully justified analogies to the bowl from Poznań. The text reviews the arguments of both sides of the dispute: the baptismal and “construction” claims. Weaknesses of the argument for the baptismal interpretation are exposed. Doubts raised by skeptics concerning the interpretation of the bowl as a mortar mixer are dispelled on the basis of analysis of analogous objects. The author concludes that the interpretation of the bowl as a mortar mixer is supported by numerous analogies whereas the baptismal conception lacks such support.
In 2015, Stanisław Tabaczyński, full member of the Polish Academy of Sciences, out-standing Polish archaeologist, celebrates 62 years of research. He has participated in archaeological research in Poznań, Wrocław, Biskupin, Kołobrzeg, Nakło and Grody Czerwieńskie (Cherven towns). For a number of years he was in charge of the excavations in Sandomierz. He took part in fieldwork on Torcello Island in the Venetian Lagoon, where an ancient glassworks was discovered, as well as at Castelseprio and other sites in Italy, France and Algeria. Many of his scientific initiatives concerned the theory of culture and methodology of archaeological research. He has published extensively and is a member of international scientific institutions, and has been honored with many awards.
Pomerania, Poland. The stone decorated with three reliefs is definitely a unique monument. Numerous interpretations - the oldest came from the 19th century - of the meaning of these representations associated the images and whole stone with religion of the Balts, Celts, Scandinavians or Slavs. The most recent interpretation linked the monument with pre-Christian religions of the North. In this text I try to present different interpretation and describe the sculpture and all reliefs in the context of pre-Christian beliefs of the Western Slavs. The low reliefs depicted on it are associated with Svantevit (Polish Świętowit). This interpretation is based on the analysis of the forms and the meaning of images. In this context we use a comparative archaeological materials and information from written sources. All images from Leźno stone refer directly to spheres of competence of this god. Person with ornithomorphic arms is related to the supreme character of the deity which was worshiped in the temple on Arkona. The most important pagan temple on the Western Slavs territory in the 12th century was described in detail by Saxo Grammaticus. From his chronicle we have also information about meaning of two next images. The horse rider shows his relationship with the military sphere as well as Svantevit's night wanderings and fights. The figure with the horn is related to the sphere of prosperity and fertility, and the annual divination using the level of alcohol in the horn. All these elements show a direct relationship betwen stone form Leźno with Svantevit and his mythical competences. However, the boulder itself is not a statue of a deity, although it probably would be associated with his worship and may have been originally placed on Sventovit's worship site. The stone from Leźno is very fascinating piece of early medieval Slavic art and a very important element for understanding pre-Christian Slavic religion.
This paper presents early medieval amber cross pendants that display a great degree of diversity not only concerning form and morphology but also with regard to chronology and – as we assume – functionality, with the pendants examined herein sharing one common denominator: the raw material from which are made. This paper analyses amber artefacts discovered in Pomerania, shown in a broad comparative context. Thus, the research objectives undertaken are twofold: first, to present the sources of the relevant materials, which are formally, chronologically, and contextually diverse, and second, to point out the main interpretative problems relating to the possibility of deciphering their original meanings and functions.
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