The cemetery of the Globular Amphora culture community in the Złota-Gajowizna site in the light of radiocarbon analysis and dendrochronology

Barbara Witkowska,Tomasz Ważny,Janusz Czebreszuk,Barbara Gmińska-Nowak,Marzena Szmyt,Tomasz Goslar

doi:10.23858/sa/72.2020.2.2116

Abstract

This paper presents a new series of absolute age determinations from the Złota-Gajowizna site. These are the first chronometric data from the most important necropolis of the central group of the Globular Amphora culture. The obtained dendrochronological data, which are unique for the sites of the Late Neolithic in Poland, made it possible to specify the results of the calibration. A new interpretation of the arrangement of the cemetery has been proposed, which is the starting point for determining the GAC funeral rite in the Sandomierz Upland.

Highlights

Despite the fact that the Gajowizna site cemetery was discovered almost 100 years ago, the number of human graves and the abundance of accompanying animal deposits make it a unique find within the Polish group of the Globular Amphora culture
Under two projects financed by the National Science Centre in recent years (FUGA 2014/12/S/HS3/00355 and BEETHOVEN 2014/15/G/HS3/04720), the first series of chronometric data has been obtained, which forms the basis for establishing the chronology of the GAC in the Sandomierz Upland
In order to fully present the context of the obtained results, the arrangement and functions of the features discovered in the cemetery have been reinterpreted, since the increase in knowledge of the GAC funeral rites has falsified the view presented in the original publication on the site (Krzak 1977)

Summary

Introduction

Despite the fact that the Gajowizna site cemetery was discovered almost 100 years ago, the number of human graves and the abundance of accompanying animal deposits make it a unique find within the Polish (central) group of the Globular Amphora culture (hereinafter GAC). They were found in eight out of nineteen pits containing human remains (Table 1), which all were proper graves that originally included vessels, other flint or bone inventory and incomplete animal skeletons.

Results

Conclusion