Polish Archeologists Have Unearthed A 2,000-Year-Old Burial Ground In A Field Where Potatoes Were Being Grown Just A Week Prior

Published online: Nov 09, 2024 Articles https://tvpworld.com/
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Included among the human remains was a bronze Roman coin bearing the image of the empress Crispina, wife of Emperor Commodus, made famous by the film Gladiator.

Also found were spearheads, and other weapon parts, including shields and knives.

The discovery in the central Polish village of Wierzbiczany was made after the local conservator ordered archeological research to be carried out.

The decision followed surface research with metal detectors by archeologists who found evidence of a cremation internment site.

Local museum director Marcin Wozniak told the Super Express daily: “The 2,000-year-old cemetery has been destroyed by years of intensive agricultural work and, above all, by illegal prospectors.”

He added that preparations to excavate the graves had taken almost a year and that now “the excavations are coming to an end. Within the cemetery, archaeologists discovered several burials dating back to the beginning of our era.”

The burial ground was used not only to intern ashes from cremations, but also skeletons, archeologists said.

Among the graves were the resting places of warriors on whose funeral pyres shields and spears had been placed.

The find is just the start of an archeological adventure.

The remains will now be examined, with paleogeneticists hoping to recover DNA samples of the deceased while conservators will focus on the bronze and iron artifacts uncovered.

Wozniak, told Super Express the location was a unique place as it was home to some of the most important settlements of the local section of the Amber Road – an ancient route to transport amber from the North and Baltic seas to the Mediterranean.

He said archeological work at the site would teach scientists about the lives of the craftsmen and merchants that lived there.