Archaeologists Discover Unique Female Figurine

A clay figurine from the Neolithic period (fourth millennium BC) depicting a stylized woman figure has been found during the excavations in Racibórz. "This find is a sensation in the archaeological world, because so far only a few and small fragments of human figurines from this period have been discovered" - told PAP Jacek Pierzak from the Silesian Regional Office for the Protection of Monuments.
The object was discovered during the survey of the planned flood reservoir Dolna Odra, conducted by the Archaeological Rescue Research Team at the Centre for Prehistoric and Medieval Studies of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology PAS in Poznań.
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Gliwice burials: Vampires or Executed Criminals?

A bit of a media event has been the discovery of some odd burials near Gliwice, at least 17 skeletons buried with the skulls severed and placed between the knees or hands. Unfortunately the local archaeologists seem to have jumped on the 'vampire' bandwaggon:

Construction workers building a road near the town of Gliwice in southern Poland this month came across four skeletons buried in a bizarre way. Their skulls had been cut off and placed between the knees or hands of the dead. Later, a further 13 skeletons arranged in a similar way were found. Adding to the mystery, nothing -- no jewellery, remains of clothing or coins, not even a button -- was found on the bodies. Archaeologists now believe that the bodies date from the 15th or 16th centuries, when the fear of vampires was widespread in Eastern Europe. Lukasz Obtulowicz, an archaeologist from the monument protection office in the nearby city of Katowice, said there were clear indications that this was the site of a vampire burial, noting that stones had been placed on the skulls. "All this served to prevent the vampires from returning to life," he said in a television interview.  The office's chief archeologist, Jacek Pierzak, told Polish newspaper Dziennik Zachodni: "It was one of the most common forms of burying vampires." The office could not immediately be reached for comment. It can't be ruled out that the dead were executed, because the site lies close to where a gallows used to stand. So far, a total of 43 graves have been unearthed there, and historians hope to learn more about the skeletons by studying court files and church logs on executions. The skeletons are being removed for tests to ascertain their age and the possible causes of death.

One of the burials

Spiegel, 'Roll Over Dracula: 'Vampire Cemetery' Found in Poland', ABC News/SPIEGEL July 27, 2013

Sarah Weiss, '4 suspected vampires found buried in Poland' Jewsish News 12.07.2013

Afterlife of Early Neolithic houses in the Polish lowlands

 

Reconstruction of Neolithic house in use

Joanna Pyzel, 'Afterlife of Early Neolithic houses in the Polish lowlands',  Past Horizons. March 23, 2013.Some interesting conclusions about some LBK houses found in motorway excavations in Kuyavia:

 Some people may have chosen to build within the older LBK houses to [...]  legitimise their ancient origin (and privileges that must be associated with this). There can be no doubt that the past, even a remote one, played an important role in the Brześć Kujawski societies. Leaving aside the question of this relationship to LBK ancestors representing a genuine continuity or an invented tradition, these commemoration practices demonstrate to us how long these abandoned buildings of first farmers could have been visible in the otherwise unchanged landscape of prehistoric Europe and what this must have meant to those that came after.

Unique workshop of Palaeolithic hunters discovered in Silesia

The  digital model of a biface discovered in the area of the site.
Below, a schematic tool cross section showing the method of
making of  plano-convex form. Scanning by M. Mackiewicz

More than a thousand flint tools and waste generated on during their treatment were discovered near Pietrowice Wielkie (Silesia) by archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology, University of Wrocław - told PAP head researcher Dr. Andrzej Wiśniewski. The flint workshops, remains of which were found by archaeologists, had been used by Neanderthals. The researchers are waiting for more detailed information on the site dating. The workshop is certainly more than 45 thousand years old.  "Tools were made by a specific canon of Neanderthals living in Central Europe. These items have a cutting edge on both sides, they are bifacial" - said Dr. Wiśniewski.

Unique workshop of Palaeolithic hunters discovered in Silesia

An Animated History of Poland

"The Animated History of Poland" an 8 minute video, depicting the history of Poland through animation, prepared by Tomasz Bagiński for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai.

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Posted on You Tube by PolishEmbassyCA 25.04.2012

Museum of the History of Polish Jews

Museum of the History of Polish Jews

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Posted on You Tube by Taube Philanthropies 07.09.2012

The Museum of the History of Polish Jews, built on the site of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, will honor and celebrate 1000 years of Jewish life and culture in Poland. This film documents the Museum's development from its groundbreaking in 2007 and includes footage of volunteers building the replica of the 17th-century Gwoździec Synagogue, a keystone of the Core Exhibition. The film is a succinct and engaging portrait of an enormous work in progress, including breathtaking helicam views of the building exterior. In the film, Dr Elie Wiesel explains why the Museum, opening in 2013, is so important: "The Museum is a geographical place of memory, and you cannot be in the place of the Ghetto Uprising and not feel something very deep. There were 1,000 years of Jewish history in Poland; 1,000 years of activity, of extraordinary aspirations and endeavors and dreams and metamorphoses; 1,000 years, which must be studied and communicated and shared."

Vistula in Warsaw reveals sunk loot from the seventeenth century

                                                                     PAP © 2012 / Tomasz Gzell

The low level of water in the Vistula River in Warsaw facilitates the work of archaeologists, who have extracted from the river bed the loot sunk during the Swedish invasion in the seventeenth century, including marble floors, stairs, railings. Dr. Hubert Kowalski of the Institute of Archaeology, Faculty of History, University of Warsaw told PAP that the researchers extract mainly pieces of architecture and sculptural decorations from the seventeenth century."Until now, we knew about the Swedes looting archives, works of art, paintings, sculptures. No one thought that they were also taking pieces such as floors, stairs, railings, even an entire staircase" - said Kowalski. "We have a part of a fountain, huge lintels weighting kundreds of kilograms, pieces decorated with Vasa coat of arms" - he added.

He believes that the finds are invaluable. "These is quality marble, also taking into account the class of art" - he said. He emphasised that water, sand and mud quite preserved the pieces, which have rested at the bottom of the river for more than 350 years. 

The finds come from the sunken Swedish boats. "We know from archival records that several Swedish boats, at least one of them in 1655 or in 1656, sunk at this spot" - said Kowalski. He added that the boats could hit the shallows, or a stone, or be sunken by the Swedes themselves, who knew that the low water level would not let them transport the stolen items.

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