Anita Szczepanek

Changes in past subsistence strategies reflect the adaptation of human societies to climatic, environmental, and cultural settings. Despite being a resistant, flexible, and nutritive crop, millet only sporadically became a staple crop in Europe and is nearly forgotten today. This raises the question of the cultural dimensions associated with the adoption or rejection of millet. We use a multi-isotope dataset from Bronze Age Poland (2200 to 1000 BCE) coupled with radiocarbon dates to identify dietary practices and associate them with cultural and environmental conditions. We (i) revise the earliest evidence for millet consumption in Europe to 1590 ± 50 calibrated years (cal) BCE instead of 1460 ± 40 cal BCE, (ii) reconstruct dietary shifts at the group and individual level, (iii) suggest environmental instead of cultural mechanisms behind millet adoption, and (iv) reveal land-use shifts associated with millet cultivation, showing no strong evidence for a demic diffusion model. The gained insights into crop integration processes can help in discussing coping strategies for present-day challenges.

The discovery of the first LBK cemetery, and a cremation one at that, is an exceptional fact not only for Poland, but also for the entire eastern edge of this culture. This discovery has significantly enriched our knowledge of the LBK burial rites, as until recently only individual graves and small burial complexes within or on the outskirts of settlements were known from the area of Poland. Therefore, it was particularly important to conduct a wide range of interdisciplinary research and to analyse this extraordinary discovery in light of the obtained results. This allows us to put the Modlniczka cemetery in the context of other similar LBK sites in Europe. Most of the specialist analysis results presented here were conducted for the first time for LBK cremation burials. Therefore, they are unique and can serve as a benchmark. The conclusions arising from this interdisciplinary approach are extremely interesting, both in terms of grave furnishings and the reconstruction of the funerary rites themselves.

The biritual necropolis at Kazimierza Wielka, site 12, represents one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in south-eastern Poland in recent years. The cemetery is dominated by inhumation burials, most of which contain female remains, while cremations are less frequent; both burial types are accompanied by rich grave goods. The burials date to the end of the Younger Pre-Roman Period and the Early Roman Period (1st century BC – 2nd century AD). During the Pre-Roman Period, the region was inhabited by a culturally and ethnically diverse Celtic–Przeworsk communities traditionally associated with the Tyniec group, while in the Roman Period the area experienced intensive settlement by communities of the Przeworsk culture. Nevertheless, the funerary practices and grave inventories at this site are atypical for that cultural tradition. The coexistence of biritual burial practices and imported grave goods suggest that part of the cemetery’s community could be of non-local origin. Strontium isotope analyses (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) of dental enamel and cremated bones from 26 individuals corroborate these interpretations, revealing patterns of mobility and the integration of non-local individuals, particularly females, into the local social and funerary landscape.

At Site 50 in Srebrzyszcze, a unique complex of sepulchral features of the Globular Amphora Culture was discovered, consisting of a single human grave accompanied by two deposits of animal remains. The uniqueness of this discovery lies in the fact that the person to whom this expanded ritual complex was dedicated was a child, and also in the construction of the complex itself, which represents a type of structure with stone surrounds, very rarely encountered in the East Lublin group of the Globular Amphora Culture. Therefore, the results of research conducted at Site 50 enrich the picture of the Globular Amphora Culture from the Lublin Upland territory, as thesepulchral complex under scrutiny represents the easternmost construction of the Nałęczów type. A radiocarbon date was obtained for the human burial, which may contribute to further considerations upon the chronological position of graves without stone surrounds within the GAC.

This study investigates ochre from a Yamna culture grave in Michaľany, Eastern Slovakia. Radiocarbon dating resulted in 4330 ± 35 BP, calibrated to 3010–2898 bc . The grave's construction and dating confirm its cultural attribution. SEM and Raman spectrometry identified a red substance as hematite, representing the first evidence of its use in Yamna funerary practices in this region. Geochemical analysis suggests a local origin, likely linked to low‐temperature hydrothermal deposits in the nearby Brehov–Zemplín ore district. This finding provides new insights into ochre's symbolic and practical roles in Yamna funerary traditions.

The article reports the results of research focused on Barrow 3 in Ivanivtsi-Antonivka, Vinnitsia oblast, Ukraine, which was carried out by a Polish-Ukrainian team in 2019. This small and badly damaged barrow contained just seven features, including only two graves. The results of the multifaceted analyses indicated that despite the small number of sites, the history of the barrow can be divided into three phases – all resulting from the activity of communities associated with the Chornolis culture. Two phases were related to the placement of graves and the enlargement of the mound: Phase 2 (820–770 BC) and Phase 3 (750–685 BC). In contrast, the earliest Phase 1 (960–930 BC) probably covers the demarcation of the ceremonial/ritual space through the placement of a central post, the digging of a ditch, the rising of a mound (?) and the holding of a ceremonial feast. Remarkably, this stage did not end at all with the placement of a grave in the designated space or at least no traces of this have been found. The two excavated graves were intended for women. In both cases, the deceased were accompanied by a similar set of artefacts: a clay cup and a clay spindle whorl probably representing a spindle. It seems that this recurrent set was meant to stress one of the major tasks of women namely the manufacture of textiles. At present, the barrow discussed here does not find any full analogies, as sites concealing modest female burials associated with the Chornolis culture have not been studied in much detail.

This paper presents the results of accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS ¹⁴C) dating performed on archaeological samples (human bone, wood charcoal, and other charred plant macro-remains) from six sites located in the Lesser Poland Upland (southern Poland). We report 41 ¹⁴C age measurements performed on discoveries made during the contract excavations carried out during the S7 roadway construction from 2016–2022. The resulting ages fall into a long interval, which, in terms of the regional archaeological periodization, lasts from the Late Neolithic to the Late Antiquity/Early Medieval Period (ca. 4600 BC–600 AD), and in terms of the climatological periodization corresponds to the Atlantic, Subboreal, and Subatlantic.

Contemporary imaging techniques, particularly micro–computed tomography, enable detailed visualization and analysis of pathological changes in skeletal remains. This study examines the right temporal bone of a male individual from the Early Bronze Age Mierzanowice culture (2200–2000 bc), discovered in southeastern Poland. Macroscopic analysis revealed significant unilateral enlargement of the right petrous part and mastoid process. The aim of our study was to identify the underlying condition using high‐resolution micro–computed tomography imaging. Scanning with a Nanotom 180 N device (30‐μm‐slice thickness) revealed substantial structural destruction of the otic capsule, consistent with a diagnosis of otosclerosis. The mastoid process was notably widened, with a clearly visible Koerner's septum. Comparative analysis with a nonpathological reference bone and the absence of systemic skeletal changes helped to rule out differential diagnoses such as osteogenesis imperfecta, otosyphilis, and Paget's disease. Micro–computed tomography provided exceptional insight into the internal architecture of the temporal bone, revealing detailed features associated with otosclerosis, including a hypodense focus in the region of the fissula ante fenestram and the “double ring sign” of the cochlea. These findings underscore the diagnostic power of micro–computed tomography in paleopathology and its potential to uncover subtle yet significant ancient diseases.

Human remains from sites 3, 5, and 13 in Kazimierza Wielka were anthropologically analysed, as detailed in Table 1. The study includes skeletons discovered in 15 features and in a destroyed section of site 3. Single burials associated with Neolithic and Early Bronze Age cultures predominated. Among the Trzciniec culture features, six individuals were identified in feature 92 (site 5) and two individuals in feature 21 (site 3). The Neolithic and Early Bronze Age remains predominantly consisted of adults, showing marked sexual dimorphism. The difference in body height between males and females was approximately 10 cm, indicating favourable living conditions for these populations. Few pathologies were observed, with degenerative vertebral changes noted primarily in the oldest individuals. Male skeletons exhibited strongly developed muscle attachment sites on the upper limb bones, indicative of activities involving frequent lifting or carrying of heavy objects. Cranial analyses revealed proportions typical of the period, with skulls classified as dolichocephalic (long) or mesocephalic (intermediate) based on the cephalic index. Feature 92, associated with the Trzciniec culture, contained the remains of children aged 2–14 years. This aligns with the funerary practices of the Trzciniec culture, which included collective burials used over extended periods or as final deposition sites for remains that underwent prior ritual treatments. Two skulls of children from the Trzciniec culture features exhibited cribra orbitalia, visible as perforations in the orbital roofs. This condition is a nonspecific stress marker associated with nutritional deficiencies, particularly of iron and vitamins B9 and B12, as well as infections or parasitic diseases. Stable isotope analyses revealed dietary patterns. δ13C values indicated a predominantly C3 plant-based diet, while elevated δ15N values suggested substantial consumption of animal protein, regardless of cultural affiliation or burial. Strontium isotope analysis highlighted varying degrees of mobility among individuals. For instance, a female associated with the Malice culture (feature 72) and a male of the Bell Beaker culture (feature 28) appear to have originated from the Pińczów Hummock area. Similarly, a male from the Trzciniec culture (feature 21, individual 1) was born locally but likely spent his adolescence in the Pińczów Hummock, a region of intensive Trzciniec culture occupation. Two representatives of the Corded Ware culture (features 19 and 49) were locally born but spent their adolescence in areas with more radiogenic strontium signatures, though the precise area remain undetermined. Possible regions include the Rzeszów Forecarpathian Foothills, Lublin Upland, and Małopolska Upland. A female from the Funnel Beaker culture (feature 8) came from an area with slightly higher 87Sr/86Sr values, while a highly mobile male of the same culture (feature 62) likely originated in the Pińczów Hummock area but spent his adolescence in a more radiogenic region of unknown location. These analyses demonstrate a high degree of mobility among Neolithic and Bronze Age communities, reflecting zones of intracultural exchange.