Neolithic Archaeology by Aleksandra Cetwińska
Documenta Praehistorica, 2023
In the 3rd millennium BC, the area of the Masurian Lake District, located at the border zone of ... more In the 3rd millennium BC, the area of the Masurian Lake District, located at the border zone of the North and Eastern European Plains, was still dominated by hunter-gatherers. It was then that the Late Neolithic farming and pastoralist communities reached the region, where cultural and social changes were initiated. Tracing these changes is possible through an analysis of the unique funerary and ritual complex on the island of Lake Łańskie. Burials of representatives of the elites of ranking communities from the Late Neolithic were found there, as well as the discontinuation of such burials in the Early Bronze Age, which has already been associated with egalitarian communities.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2022
The area of North-East Poland was in prehistory, and still is today, an area with easy access to ... more The area of North-East Poland was in prehistory, and still is today, an area with easy access to amber as a raw material, as is evidenced in part by numerous Late Neolithic (3rd millennium) amber workshops located in the GulfofGdan ́skandZ ̇uławyWi ́slane(VistulaFens).Giventhisfact,itissurprisingthatonlyafewfinishedamber products have been recovered from this area. Among them are unique ornaments from the Late Neolithic sites Ząbie 10, Supra ́sl 3, and Supra ́sl 6. The preliminary analysis showed that these amber artifacts differ from the products manufactured by local groups located in the territory of modern Poland. The selected artifacts were subjected to in-depth stylistic and technological analysis to identify their provenance, taking also into consid- eration the type of raw material used in their production by means of FTIR analysis. Stylistic analysis showed that several specimens have analogies amongst the amber beads known from the Bell Beaker phenomenon. However, most of the beads under study are unique, and there are no analogies among any Neolithic ornaments in Europe. In addition, it was found that the specimens from Ząbie 10, Supra ́sl 3, and Supra ́sl 6 had perforations drilled with a metal tool, not a flint drill bit, which was previously unheard of in this part of Europe. The FTIR analysis revealed the use of local amber, including its different varieties i.e., succinite, gedano-succinite and gedanite. It also revealed its varying state of preservation. This may be useful for exploring the environmental context in which these artifacts were deposited.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Praehistorische Zeitschrift, 2022
Until the beginning of the 21st century it was believed that the north-eastern border of... more Until the beginning of the 21st century it was believed that the north-eastern border of Bell Beaker influ-ence reaches the Vistula River basin. Recent discoveries in the North Podlachian Lowland provided grounds for veri-fication of this belief, particularly with regards to the Mas-urian Lake District, which used to be considered as a terri-tory of intensive activity of the Iwno Culture – a propagator of Bell Beaker influence in this part of Europe. This verifi-cation included materials of the highest diagnostic value – pottery and flint artefacts from two best-researched sites in this area: Ząbie X and Szestno II. As a result, fragments of pottery vessels and flint artefacts which can be conclu-sively associated with Bell Beakers were identified and their analyses revealed that these objects were not con-nected with the local Iwno Culture, but rather resembled both the materials recently unearthed in the North Podla-chian Lowland and corresponding materials from the area of the Atlantic coast. This might mean that people carrying the Bell Beaker cultural package reached the area of the Masurian Lake District and North Podlachian Lowland in the Late Neolithic.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Journal of European Archaeology, 2022
At Supraśl 3 in northeastern Poland, four Bell Beaker features contained small quantities of burn... more At Supraśl 3 in northeastern Poland, four Bell Beaker features contained small quantities of burnt and highly fragmented human and animal bones and various, mostly fragmented, artefacts. These assemblages included twenty-four flint arrowheads, most of which bore traces of grinding, though not all were ground to the same extent. A comprehensive macroscopic and microscopic analysis was undertaken to determine the process of shaping these arrowheads and the possible reasons for grinding them, especially as no local flint working was recorded at the site. The authors suggest that the grinding of arrowheads reflects both practical and ritual concerns, possibly originating in emulation of techniques used by the Rzucewo culture and signalling contacts with the wider Bell Beaker milieu.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Chronika , 2021
During the Late Neolithic, north-eastern Poland was inhabited by paraneolithic hunter-gatherers f... more During the Late Neolithic, north-eastern Poland was inhabited by paraneolithic hunter-gatherers from the Neman cultural sphere who were occasionally visited by agrarian and pastoral groups. Despite the apparent exchanges, only a few sites are known from this area. In recent years, however, more data has appeared, part of which encompasses reoccurring relics of a ritual nature. In particular, these were associated with the use and damage of pottery. This article signals new interpretational possibilities related to breaking pots as an element of symbolic life.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Światowit, 2020
Interactions between hunter-gatherers and groups of farmers and breeders have been a subject of a... more Interactions between hunter-gatherers and groups of farmers and breeders have been a subject of archaeological debate for many years. Thanks to the application of different scientific approaches, ranging from material studies to archaeometric analyses, the discussion has not lost its relevance. The aim of this study is to present the evolution of scientific investigations related to these interactions and to emphasise the potential of the debate: despite the passing of time, it remains an open research issue. The complexity of this discussion will be demonstrated through selected case studies from all around Europe.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Documenta Praehistorica XLVII, 2020
The Bell Beaker (BB) cultural package is one of the concepts explaining the extensive diffusion o... more The Bell Beaker (BB) cultural package is one of the concepts explaining the extensive diffusion of this phenomenon in Europe. Artefacts associated with the package, discovered mainly in the graves of men, form groups defining the status of the deceased. The BB package is a dynamic turn of events, changing depending on the region, but preserving certain characteristic traits. The complete set of its initial ingredients was not copied in any location, and new local elements were added in various areas of its diffusion. The ritual features unearthed in northeastern Poland, which contained elements of the BB package, are the assemblages located the furthest in the East European periphery of the phenomenon. The eco-and artefacts from these assemblages are difficult to interpret conclusively within the framework of the classic BB package, as well as in terms of its changes associated with its diffusion. This is connected with the fact that they include elements unknown among the local cultural entities, which reflect the broad circle of contacts their owners maintained.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
European Journal of Archaeology, 2020
The ephemeral nature of religious practices and rituals makes them challenging to trace in the ar... more The ephemeral nature of religious practices and rituals makes them challenging to trace in the archaeological record of Late Neolithic hunter-gatherer communities in central and eastern Europe. A ritual feature with Bell Beaker elements discovered in northeastern Poland, a region occupied by hunter-gatherer groups of the Neman cultural circle, is thus exceptional. Its syncretic character indicates its role as a harbinger of wider cultural change that led to the emergence in this region of the western group of the Bronze Age Trzciniec cultural circle.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Experimental Archaeology by Aleksandra Cetwińska
Archaeometry, 2024
The discovery of a specific form of Late Neolithic object in northeast Poland, commonly interpret... more The discovery of a specific form of Late Neolithic object in northeast Poland, commonly interpreted as reed arrowshaft straighteners, prompted investigation into the possible use of reed for archery in the European past. To examine the archery qualities of this raw material, and thus the likely rationale behind the manufacture and use of reed arrowshafts, a number of mechanical and experimental analyses were conducted. The results presented here indicate that reed was well suited for prehistoric archery. This is demonstrated above all by the arrowshaft stiffness required by this discipline, defined as the spine-force, but also both the technological ease of production of arrows and their ballistic capabilities.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
EXARC Journal , 2022
The discovery of an excavated cup with a glossy surface prompted reflection on the polishing of v... more The discovery of an excavated cup with a glossy surface prompted reflection on the polishing of vessel surfaces and their mutual significance. We present the results of the application of three different polishing methods along with a reflection on their function and on the skills and ability of the potter.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
EXARC Journal Issue 2021/4, 2021
Beeswax is a frequently mentioned binder additive in the literature. Unfortunately, it is not so ... more Beeswax is a frequently mentioned binder additive in the literature. Unfortunately, it is not so durable as to be well preserved in archaeological records, although there are faint exceptions. Because of its strengthening capabilities, which is believed to be its role, this research set out to carry out an experiment to verify the effects of adding it to the adhesives potentially used in the European Stone Age. The study used pine resin and its various compositions with beeswax and frequently used charcoal. The binders obtained were then compared with birch tar, which is considered to be one of the best adhesives in prehistory. Arrow ballistics were used to verify the effectiveness of beeswax addition, which shows that this addition has a high-quality effect on the natural binders.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Archaeological Science by Aleksandra Cetwińska
STUDIA I MATERIAŁY DO BADAŃ NAD NEOLITEM I WCZESNĄ EPOKĄ BRĄZU NA MAZOWSZU I PODLASIU, VII, 2017
Characteristics of flint arrowhead surfaces from Bell Beaker ritual features in Supraśl in the lig... more Characteristics of flint arrowhead surfaces from Bell Beaker ritual features in Supraśl in the light of post-depositional changes
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
History of Archaeology by Aleksandra Cetwińska
History is a truly important tool for understanding the realities of the present. This is especia... more History is a truly important tool for understanding the realities of the present. This is especially true of academic disciplines, which cannot function without understanding the origins of the research questions, the methods of their development, or the limitations of a given era. The case is no different for archaeology, whose history, though equally “ancient”, is still underestimated by many. A case in point may be the fate of Warsaw archaeology, which for over 100 years, at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, developed in the Russian Partition. Although the origins of this area of study can be traced back to the mid-eighteenth century in Warsaw, the turbulent political history of the country led to its long-standing stagnation, which was overcome by the efforts of eminent individuals. However, the understanding of archaeology as a private interest of the wealthy did not change until the internal crises in the Russian Empire in 1905. These allowed for an institutional revival in Warsaw. Nevertheless, none of these change equals the regaining of independence, which became an inspiration to rebuild the country, also in the academic domain. One of the pillars of this reconstruction became the University of Warsaw. Despite adversities, the first chair of prehistoric archaeology in Warsaw was established within the structures of the then newly-founded university, and an outstanding self-taught archaeologist, Erazm Majewski, became its head.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
NOVENSIA, 2020
Workshop and interests of Erazm Majewski on the example of Fine Works and Notes from 1897 ( at th... more Workshop and interests of Erazm Majewski on the example of Fine Works and Notes from 1897 ( at the 100th anniversary of archaeology at the University of Warsaw)
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Public Archaeology by Aleksandra Cetwińska
Forum Archeologii Publicznej popularyzacja i edukacja archeologiczna, 2020
In the very beginning, the term public archaeology was applied only to the projects that were sim... more In the very beginning, the term public archaeology was applied only to the projects that were simply founded by the public. Nowadays, it goes far beyond that, with changes not only in the terminology, but also in the related methods. Different areas of specialisation within public archaeological practice, like heritage education, cultural resource management, interpretation, museum studies and else, have developed their own techniques for engaging their audience. This article aims to understand and present new way of communicating the science to the non-expert public with tools of content mar- keting and on commercial examples.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Scientific activity by Aleksandra Cetwińska
Dear Readers,
Long time no hear, but we are delighted to reconnect and share our recent studies ... more Dear Readers,
Long time no hear, but we are delighted to reconnect and share our recent studies and projects with you! One noteworthy project comes from our PhD student and fellow editor, focusing on the analysis of ceramic production technology in north-eastern Poland during the transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. Additionally, we provide a brief summary of her field research to date at the site Święty Kamień Przylesie.
We are also excited to present an outline of a project by Janusz Uszko, a student at the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw. Furthermore, we extend an invitation to participate in our field project "Comprehensive research on settlement relics in the historical Jaćwieża region, carried out in collaboration with the Augustów Land Museum.
In this edition, we delve into the future direction of archaeology, seeking insights from ChatGPT. We also encourage you to explore the online version of the exhibition "A World With No Borders," previously hosted at the Main Campus by the University of Warsaw and in the Museum of the Earth of the Polish Academy of Sciences last year. Don't miss the opportunity to watch and listen to the captivating soundtrack that accompanied the exposition, available on YouTube!
Thank you for your continued interest and support.
Dariusz Manasterski
Editor-in-chief
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
We are pleased to present the next issue of our University newsletter. You can find here a cross-... more We are pleased to present the next issue of our University newsletter. You can find here a cross-section of our scientific activities. Enjoy!
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
by Adrian Nemergut, Jaroslava Ruttkayová, Katarzyna Pyżewicz, Sebastian Teska, Aliaksandr Vashanau, Aleksandra Cetwińska, Yuri Demidenko, Damian Stefański, Tereza Rychtaříková, Petr Skrdla, and Witold Grużdź Adrián Nemergut, Ivan Cheben, Jaroslava Ruttkayová, Katarzyna Pyżewicz (eds.): 16th SKAM Lithic Workshop. “Fossil directeur” - A phenomenon over time and space. 21–23 of October 2019, Nitra, Slovak Republic. Abstract book. Nitra, 2019
Nitra 2019
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Dear All,
You are cordially invited to take a look at our research in the first issue of the ne... more Dear All,
You are cordially invited to take a look at our research in the first issue of the newsletter "Neolithic Lifeways" published by our team! It is dedicated to Neolithic and Early Bronze Age issues, which we are working on at the University of Warsaw. If you have any questions, suggestions or would like to join our research, please feel free to contact us.
I wish you a pleasant reading,
Dariusz Manasterski
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Conference materials by Aleksandra Cetwińska
Call for papers, 2021
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to announce the 2nd edition of Keeping Archaeology Together Inte... more Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to announce the 2nd edition of Keeping Archaeology Together International Online Conference, which will take place on the 24th of June 2021, using the Zoom platform. This year we have prepared for you a selection of thematic sessions that are related to both specific regions and topics of particular importance in archaeological research. This year’s novelty is the “Young Researchers” panel, which we propose to all those who start their scientific career. We reserve the right to choose particular speeches and to refer to the received proposals for scientific evaluation and possible amendments.
Below are the submission guidelines:
Title – should be up to 18 words.
Abstract – should be 200-300 words.
Keywords – the text should be provided with 6-8 keywords.
Presentations should be submitted in the language appropriate to a particular session.
Please submit your proposals via Google Form by June 5th, 2021:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/137akKM-9TQWkSFkfYIH-3I8j1Qpsz3ZjVuHjMS248F0/viewform?edit_requested=true&fbclid=IwAR20wtG1jxx1xLjxMe_URbelTtOtmRTyrorruh2MmBW9UGiQnBFf7wYB48I
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Uploads
Neolithic Archaeology by Aleksandra Cetwińska
Experimental Archaeology by Aleksandra Cetwińska
Archaeological Science by Aleksandra Cetwińska
History of Archaeology by Aleksandra Cetwińska
Public Archaeology by Aleksandra Cetwińska
Scientific activity by Aleksandra Cetwińska
Long time no hear, but we are delighted to reconnect and share our recent studies and projects with you! One noteworthy project comes from our PhD student and fellow editor, focusing on the analysis of ceramic production technology in north-eastern Poland during the transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. Additionally, we provide a brief summary of her field research to date at the site Święty Kamień Przylesie.
We are also excited to present an outline of a project by Janusz Uszko, a student at the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw. Furthermore, we extend an invitation to participate in our field project "Comprehensive research on settlement relics in the historical Jaćwieża region, carried out in collaboration with the Augustów Land Museum.
In this edition, we delve into the future direction of archaeology, seeking insights from ChatGPT. We also encourage you to explore the online version of the exhibition "A World With No Borders," previously hosted at the Main Campus by the University of Warsaw and in the Museum of the Earth of the Polish Academy of Sciences last year. Don't miss the opportunity to watch and listen to the captivating soundtrack that accompanied the exposition, available on YouTube!
Thank you for your continued interest and support.
Dariusz Manasterski
Editor-in-chief
You are cordially invited to take a look at our research in the first issue of the newsletter "Neolithic Lifeways" published by our team! It is dedicated to Neolithic and Early Bronze Age issues, which we are working on at the University of Warsaw. If you have any questions, suggestions or would like to join our research, please feel free to contact us.
I wish you a pleasant reading,
Dariusz Manasterski
Conference materials by Aleksandra Cetwińska
We are pleased to announce the 2nd edition of Keeping Archaeology Together International Online Conference, which will take place on the 24th of June 2021, using the Zoom platform. This year we have prepared for you a selection of thematic sessions that are related to both specific regions and topics of particular importance in archaeological research. This year’s novelty is the “Young Researchers” panel, which we propose to all those who start their scientific career. We reserve the right to choose particular speeches and to refer to the received proposals for scientific evaluation and possible amendments.
Below are the submission guidelines:
Title – should be up to 18 words.
Abstract – should be 200-300 words.
Keywords – the text should be provided with 6-8 keywords.
Presentations should be submitted in the language appropriate to a particular session.
Please submit your proposals via Google Form by June 5th, 2021:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/137akKM-9TQWkSFkfYIH-3I8j1Qpsz3ZjVuHjMS248F0/viewform?edit_requested=true&fbclid=IwAR20wtG1jxx1xLjxMe_URbelTtOtmRTyrorruh2MmBW9UGiQnBFf7wYB48I
Long time no hear, but we are delighted to reconnect and share our recent studies and projects with you! One noteworthy project comes from our PhD student and fellow editor, focusing on the analysis of ceramic production technology in north-eastern Poland during the transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. Additionally, we provide a brief summary of her field research to date at the site Święty Kamień Przylesie.
We are also excited to present an outline of a project by Janusz Uszko, a student at the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw. Furthermore, we extend an invitation to participate in our field project "Comprehensive research on settlement relics in the historical Jaćwieża region, carried out in collaboration with the Augustów Land Museum.
In this edition, we delve into the future direction of archaeology, seeking insights from ChatGPT. We also encourage you to explore the online version of the exhibition "A World With No Borders," previously hosted at the Main Campus by the University of Warsaw and in the Museum of the Earth of the Polish Academy of Sciences last year. Don't miss the opportunity to watch and listen to the captivating soundtrack that accompanied the exposition, available on YouTube!
Thank you for your continued interest and support.
Dariusz Manasterski
Editor-in-chief
You are cordially invited to take a look at our research in the first issue of the newsletter "Neolithic Lifeways" published by our team! It is dedicated to Neolithic and Early Bronze Age issues, which we are working on at the University of Warsaw. If you have any questions, suggestions or would like to join our research, please feel free to contact us.
I wish you a pleasant reading,
Dariusz Manasterski
We are pleased to announce the 2nd edition of Keeping Archaeology Together International Online Conference, which will take place on the 24th of June 2021, using the Zoom platform. This year we have prepared for you a selection of thematic sessions that are related to both specific regions and topics of particular importance in archaeological research. This year’s novelty is the “Young Researchers” panel, which we propose to all those who start their scientific career. We reserve the right to choose particular speeches and to refer to the received proposals for scientific evaluation and possible amendments.
Below are the submission guidelines:
Title – should be up to 18 words.
Abstract – should be 200-300 words.
Keywords – the text should be provided with 6-8 keywords.
Presentations should be submitted in the language appropriate to a particular session.
Please submit your proposals via Google Form by June 5th, 2021:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/137akKM-9TQWkSFkfYIH-3I8j1Qpsz3ZjVuHjMS248F0/viewform?edit_requested=true&fbclid=IwAR20wtG1jxx1xLjxMe_URbelTtOtmRTyrorruh2MmBW9UGiQnBFf7wYB48I
This session aims to discuss materials and results of their studies, especially those that primarily show relics of contacts occurring between locals and newcomers.
We welcome papers focusing on:
- archaeological premises for interaction,
- studying materials of syncretic character,
- intercultural networks from the past,
- searching for interactions causes, proceeding and results,
- interpreting nature of social and cultural interactions,
- finding new interpretational possibilities for interactions.
We also invite all papers dealing with transmission of knowledge in the field of prehistoric production.
Archeologiczne badania nad relacjami społecznymi przełomu neolitu i epoki brązu w Polsce północno-wschodniej
Tematem przewodnim wystawy są relacje społeczne, które mogły zachodzić na przełomie neolitu i epoki brązu w północno-wschodniej Polsce. Jest to obszar zdominowany przez jeziora i rozlewiska rzek, który pomimo interdyscyplinarnych badań nasilających się w ostatnich latach, wciąż jest rozpoznany w stopniu niezadawalającym. Wskutek intensyfikacji badań archeologicznych doszło do wydzielenia kluczowych stanowisk, zawierających zabytki, które istotnie zmieniają peryferyjne postrzeganie sytuacji kulturowej w III i na początku II tys. p.n.e. Wystawa „Świat bez granic” prezentuje popularnonaukowe ujęcie dotychczas uzyskanych wyników oraz najważniejsze aspekty badań archeologicznych na tym obszarze.
Instytucje organizujące:
PAN Muzeum Ziemi w Warszawie, Uniwersytet Warszawski, Wydział Archeologii Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, Ośrodek Badań nad Antykiem Europy Południowo-Wschodniej Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, Muzeum Podlaskie w Białymstoku.
--
A World With No Borders
Archaeological Research on Social Relations at the Turn of Neolithic and Bronze Age in North-Eastern Poland.
The main subject of the exhibition is the social relations that may have taken place at the turn of the Neolithic and Bronze Age in north-eastern Poland. Here lies an area dominated by lakes and river floodplains which, despite interdisciplinary research intensifying in recent years, is still unsatisfactorily recognised. The increased archaeological research has resulted in the identification of key sites containing artefacts that significantly alter peripheral perceptions of the cultural situation in the 3rd and early 2nd millennia BC. The exhibition „ A World With no Borders" presents a popular scientific account of the results obtained so far and the most important aspects of archaeological research in the area.
Organising institutions:
PAS Museum of the Earth in Warsaw, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Archaeology University of Warsaw, Antiquity of Southeastern Europe Research Centre University of Warsaw, Podlaskie Museum in Białystok.