Archaeologists have uncovered a rare and significant find during excavations in Kazimierza Wielka, southern Poland. The team, led by researchers from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and the archaeological firm Pryncypat, unearthed 160 artifacts spanning from the Neolithic period to the early Bronze Age. Among the most notable discoveries was an ancient cemetery, dating from the late pre-Roman to the early Roman period, approximately between the 1st century BCE and the 2nd century CE.

One of the Przeworsk culture burials unearthed at the site. Credit: Michał Podsiadło/Jagiellonian University

The cemetery contained a mix of inhumation burials—where bodies were buried—and cremation burials, reflecting diverse burial customs of the time. Researchers identified 23 inhumation graves and four cremation burials. One cremation grave, unearthed in mid-August, stood out as particularly rare and significant. The cremated remains had been placed in a bronze Roman vessel, known as a situla, which served as an urn.

This bronze vessel, described by Joanna Zagórska-Telega, a lead archaeologist from the Jagiellonian University, as “almost intact,” featured intricate dolphin-shaped handle attachments and stylized dolphin-shaped legs. The situla, in remarkable condition, is an extraordinary find, as such vessels are extremely rare in Poland. Only a few, including this one, have survived with such preservation. The vessel, along with ᴀssociated burial goods, offers valuable insights into the cultural and trade connections between Poland and the Roman Empire during that period.

The origins of situlae, such as the one discovered, remain a subject of scholarly debate. Researchers currently hypothesize that these vessels were produced in workshops located in northern Italy or the eastern Alps and traded into Barbaricum, the region north of the Roman frontier that includes modern-day Poland. According to Zagórska-Telega, early forms of such bronze vessels were introduced to the area primarily through trade with the Celts, who influenced much of central Europe in the late centuries BCE. The situla’s presence in the Przeworsk culture region, a group that flourished between the 3rd century BCE and the mid-5th century CE, underscores this connection.

A bronze vessel discovered at the site. Credit: Insтιтute of Archaeology, Jagiellonian University

Accompanying the cremation urn were artifacts suggesting that the deceased was likely a male warrior. Iron weaponry, including a sword, spearheads, and shield fittings, were discovered near the urn. These weapons had been deliberately bent and burned as part of the burial rites, a custom common in the Przeworsk culture and other groups inhabiting Barbaricum during the last centuries BCE and the early centuries CE. Zagórska-Telega noted that the “ritual destruction of weapons and placing them in the grave with the deceased warrior is characteristic of the Przeworsk culture,” further solidifying the warrior’s probable idenтιтy.

Most notably, the find provides a rare example of skeletal remains in a culture that predominantly practiced cremation. While cremation was the typical method of burial for the Przeworsk people, some graves in this cemetery contained skeletons, likely belonging to women, who were buried with ornaments and clothing items. This variation in burial customs is unusual for the Przeworsk culture.

A collection of discoveries from the burial site in Poland. Credit: Insтιтute of Archaeology, Jagiellonian University

The bronze situla and other artifacts are undergoing further analysis, with researchers examining the vessel’s metallic composition and the cremated bones inside. These studies aim to determine more details about the craftsmanship of the urn, as well as the age and Sєx of the deceased. Based on the context, the burial likely dates to the 1st century BCE.

The discovery has drawn significant attention due to the rarity of situlae in Poland. According to Kamil Sikora, a spokesperson for the Jagiellonian University, only seven such vessels have been found in areas once inhabited by the Przeworsk culture, and only four were used as urns. Additionally, the Kazimierza Wielka situla is one of the few found in such well-preserved condition.