Egyptian hieroglyphs discovered in Old Dongola, Sudan

During the current excavation season in Old Dongola (Sudan), an expedition of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw, headed by Dr. Artur Obłuski, came across an unexpected find: architectural elements from a Pharaonic temple.

Dr Dawid F. Wieczorek with a block from an Egyptian monumental building
© D. F. Wieczorek/PCMA UW

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Following tourists’ traces in caves

When we were looking for forgotten sites in the Sąspowska Valley, we came across an unexpected discovery which, properly understood, became evidence for the popularity of Ojców as a resort in the 20th century. Here is the story of how an accidental discovery of written messages and graffiti in the walls of Złodziejska Cave made us follow tourists’ traces in caves.

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New study sheds light on the ancient pastoralists of Iran

When bioarchaeologists excavate human remains, they are sometimes faced with burials that can be somewhat complicated. A ‘perfect’ burial for bioarchaeological analyses would contain a complete set of bones that are well preserved. Some archaeological sites, however, are of such great significance that we even work with poorly preserved and incomplete burials, using unconventional methods that allow us to overcome these preservation limitations. This was proven by our research team whilst studying the Bronze Age cemetery of Deh Dumen, located in the Zagros Mountains in Iran. 

Wszystkie kości udowe w badanym materiale były mocno uszkodzone, większość miało zachowane trzony, ale brakujące nasady (patrz: szary obszar na szkicu kości udowej). Przebadaliśmy przekroje poprzeczne trzonów kości udowej, aby ustalić ich rozmiary i kształt, a także obejrzeć mikrostruktury kostne w obrębie wydzielonych obszarów przekrojów. © J. Miszkiewicz, na licencji CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
All of the femora in our sample were fragmented, with most having their shafts preserved but missing their ends (see greyed area of the femur sketch). We were able to examine midshaft cross-sections of these femoral segments for size and shape, and then look at bone microstructure within further specified smaller regions of the femur cross-section.  © J. Miszkiewicz, under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license

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Textile technology in Bronze Age Greece: weaving

Movie z filmu: Textile technology in Bronze Age Greece. Part III: Weaving

We are excited to share our last video about textiles and textile production in Bronze Age Greece. In this video, Dr hab. Agata Ulanowska from the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw and Mrs Aleksandra Frączek, a student of the Faculty, discuss and demonstrate weaving.

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Caves in the Sąspowska Valley – the secrets of the storerooms of the University of Warsaw

I open a long lost box of artefacts. Do you know this feeling? The feeling when you discover notes for a book, written with your own hand, which you think you read for the first time? We call it the archaeology of archaeology.

Wszystkie jaskinie badane wykopaliskowo przez Profesora W. Chmielewskiego w Dolinie Sąspowskiej © M. Jakubczak, na licencji CC BY-SA 4.0
All caves excavated by professor Waldemar Chmielewski in the Sąspowska Valley
© M. Jakubczak, CC BY-SA 4.0 licence

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Tingitana Frontier Project – Polish-Moroccan exploration of the Roman limes in Morocco

Polish-Moroccan archaeological mission, which researches the Roman limes, unearthed remains of a Roman watchtower in late October and early November 2021. The watchtower was a part of the defence system of the ancient city of Volubilis. This research project is conducted within the framework of the agreement of mutual cooperation that was signed in July 2021 by the University of Warsaw and the National Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage in Rabat (INSAP).

Widok ze stanowiska w kierunku południowo-wschodnim © K. Bartczak, opublikowano na licencji CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
South-eastern view from the site 
© K. Bartczak, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence

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Textile technology in Bronze Age Greece: spinning

Kadr z filmu: Textile technology in Bronze Age Greece. Part II: Spinning
Movie: Textile technology in Bronze Age Greece. Part II: Spinning

We are excited to share our second video about textiles and textile production in Bronze Age Greece. In this video, Dr hab. Agata Ulanowska from the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw and Mrs Aleksandra Frączek, a student of the Faculty, discuss and demonstrate spinning.

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Living conditions in the Main City in Gdansk in the Late Middle Ages

Living conditions in the Late Medieval and Modern Period Main City in Gdańsk can be reconstructed by studying its material culture. For this reason, archaeologists from the University of Warsaw will analyse and publish results of archaeological and architectural investigation conducted in Powroźnicza Street. So far it has been one of the biggest explored areas, and it is situated almost in the centre of the old town.

Poziom użytkowy z drugiej połowy XIV wieku na zapleczu parceli Długi Targ 21 © K. Czajkowski, na licencji CC-BY-SA 4.0
Level used in the second half of the 14th century at the back of the property in no. 21 Długi Targ Street
© K. Czajkowski, CC-BY-SA 4.0 licence0

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Successful for the third time! Weapons from Lake Hammersø

Expedition from the Faculty of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw, headed by Professor Bartosz Kontny, conducted underwater archaeological exploration in Lake Hammersø from 6th to 13th September 2021. This work was a continuation of exploration of the biggest glacial lake on Bornholm. The season of 2021 brought a discovery of another group of medieval artefacts. Fragments of weapons from Lake Hammersø are particularly interesting items.

Lake Hammersø on Bornholm © B. Kontny, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence
Lake Hammersø on Bornholm
© B. Kontny, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence

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The origin of Late Neolithic amber ornaments in Poland

The area of the south-eastern shores of the Baltic Sea was in prehistory and is still today an area abundant in deposits of raw amber, as indicated, among other things, by the numerous Late Neolithic (3rd millennium BC) amber workshops and amber ornaments found on archaeological sites located in the Vistula Fens, south of the Gulf of Gdańsk. Therefore, it is puzzling that relatively few finished amber ornaments come from both these areas and the nearby region of north-eastern Poland. Among the few contemporary known ornaments are those from sites: Ząbie 10, Supraśl 3 and Supraśl 6, which are unique in this part of the prehistoric world. The selected artifacts were thus subjected to stylistic and technological analysis in order to determine where they were made, also taking into account the type of raw material used. The research showed that although the amber ornaments were most likely produced from material extracted in the south-eastern Baltic coastal zone (succinite, gedanite and gedano-succinite), they have no direct analogues there. 

Uszkodzone i niedokończone na różnych etapach obróbki wytwory bursztynowe pochodzące z warsztatów bursztyniarskich w okolicach wsi Niedźwiedziówka © K. Kwiatkowska, na licencji CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Damaged and unfinished amber artefacts at various stages of processing from amber workshops near the Niedźwiedziówka village
© K. Kwiatkowska, on licence CC BY-ND 4.0

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