A cemetery built over 4,000 years ago at the turn of the Bronze Age has been discovered by archaeologists during research on the S7 expressway construction area in Parkoszowice (Małopolskie Province).
The skeletal remains of eight members of the Corded Ware culture were also found at the site.
Kacper Michna from the Kraków branch of the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways reports that this is one of the most interesting discoveries made by researchers surveying the area before the construction of the over 5-kilometre section of the S7 expressway from Miechów to Szczepanowice.
Within a radius of less than 15 km from the site in Parkoszowice, three other cemeteries from the same period were discovered - in Smroków, Szczepanowice and Giebułtów. All the finds were transferred to the Polish Academy of Sciences.
The Parkoszowice cemetery was discovered on a hill slightly north of the Szczepanowice junction, where archaeologists surveyed an area of 1.8 ha. According to researchers, there was a settlement nearby at that time, which was unusual for this culture as they usually buried their dead away from settlements.
Excavations have shown that the deceased were buried in burial pits dug in the ground, in a contracted position on their side, with their heads facing north-east. In addition to the skeletons themselves, ceramic vessels and stone and flint tools were also discovered in the cemetery. These objects were placed in the graves together with the buried. Copper ornaments were found in the grave of one of the women.
According to archaeologists, these were very rare objects at the time, so the deceased probably had a high status in her community.
The construction of a section of the expressway between the Miechów and Szczepanowice junctions is coming to an end, and its opening is scheduled for this month. The 5.3 km long dual carriageway, located north of Kraków, runs through agricultural areas of the Miechów Upland. (PAP)
PAP - Science in Poland
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