Ślad osadnictwa z wczesnej epoki brązu w Schronisku w Udorzu II (Udórz, gm. Żarnowiec, woj. śląskie)

Abstract

The Rockshelter in Udórz II (Udórz, Żarnowiec Commune, Śląskie Voivodeship) lies at the northern end of the Udorka valley (fig. 1) in the Ryczów Upland (central portion of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland). In 2012 an interdisciplinary programme of trial trenching was carried out at the shelter site (fig. 2) as one of the stages of a project designed to record evidence of prehistoric occupation in the Udorka valley and to examine its palaeoenvironmental context.Sedimentary fill of this site comprise four strata of different lithology (fig. 3). The lowermost layer 4 is a sediment which was created by frost weathering in cold climatic conditions during the Pleistocene. Layer 3 consists of a light brown silty sand with a high content of sharp-edged debris, deposited during the Last Glacial Maximum. Layer 2 can be related to the Late Pleistocene and most of the Holocene. It is composed of grey-brown silty sand with a high content of sharp-edged limestone debris. In contrast, layer 1 is a dark grey-brown silty sand with small amounts of rounded limestone debris, which was formed in the warm climatic conditions of the Late Holocene.Flintwork and potsherds were recorded at the interface of layers 1 and 2, and in the roof of layer 2. Analysis of distribution patterns reveals that these finds were concentrated around a hearth, traces of which were recorded at the south-west part of the trial trench (fig. 4). The small flintwork assemblage is not very distinctive and shows evidence of having been burnt (fig. 6: 1–3). Most of it forms a similar scatter to the pottery.The ceramic sherds represent the remains of at least three vessels, probably including a bowl; decoration in the form of cord impressions was noted on this pottery (fig. 5: 4–12). Based on typological, chronological and comparative studies this assemblage was attributed to the early period of development of the Mierzanowice culture, dated to 2200–2050 BC.The fragmentary remains of a camp recorded at the Rockshelter in Udórz II suggest that as well as larger caves, late Neolithic and early Bronze Age communities also readily adapted smaller ones for use as short-term occupation sites, avoiding those where no daylight penetrated. This model of temporary or seasonal camps is consistent with current archaeological findings. Analysis of early Bronze Age materials from Małopolska (Little Poland) indicates that late Neolithic and early Bronze Age communities did not inhabit the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland on a permanent basis, only making forays into this area in search of flint and probably also rare plants and fruit.