Radiocarbon dating of the archival funeral complexes of the Globular Amphora culture on the Sandomierz Upland: Gajowizna, Malice, Mierzanowice and Sandomierz sites

Abstract

The article presents results of a special project aimed at re-examining the grave associated with the Globular Amphora culture in the Sandomierz Upland. The main purpose was to obtain data to establish the absolute chronology of the graves. In total, the reported project produced 25 absolute age determinations of samples from 17 sepulchral features. Some determinations are second attempts to date the same sample in an effort to make calibrated BC ranges more accurate. The samples selected for analyses were taken from osteological material coming from human graves and associated animal deposits (twelve and five features, respectively). The graves discussed in the paper come from Gajowizna (known as Złota-Gajowizna), Sandomierz-Kruków, Mierzanowice, site 1, and Malice, site 1. The determinations fit into the range from 4225 ± 25 BP to 4040 ± 35 BP, with the highest concentration occurring in the period of 4200 ± 40–4100 ± 35 BP (18 determinations), or in calibrated years 2901–2577 BC (1 sigma) or 2901–2498 BC (2 sigma). The highest calibration probability, amounting in the case of all the dates to almost 90%, is cumulated in the range of 2870–2600 BC (2 sigma). Summing up, the new age determinations of samples from cemeteries on the Sandomierz Upland are consistent with the knowledge on the chronology of the Globular Amphora culture - Małopolska group gathered by using the traditional typological method and referring to dates for neighbouring regions. The time bracket defined by the new series of radiocarbon dates from the Sandomierz Upland begs important questions about relationships of the Globular Amphora culture communities with other Late and Final Neolithic groups that lived there in the first half of the 3rd millennium BC related to the Złota and Corded Ware cultures.