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Clay vessels have a wide variety of functions in social activities in the Hallstatt period. In addition to food storage and processing, they were used for ritual purposes and as funerary vessels. The paper presents the results of archaeological and chromatographic studies of 31 vases from two different Hallstatt culture sites in lower Silesia (Poland). The investigations included vessels fragments from the Domasław cemetery and from the Milejowice settlement. The chromatographic analyses focused on fatty acids and biomarkers and made it possible to identify the most likely sources of substances they came into contact with during use. The c-means and hierarchical cluster analyses showed that grave vessels differed from settlement ceramics. Thus, conclusions on the diverse vessel functions could be made., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Ceramic chafing dishes are very unique finds. Archaeological research in Poland, until now, has provided no information on these artefacts. In this paper, a selection of finds from Gdańsk and Słupsk are presented for the first time. The paper also includes some preliminary remarks about consumption patterns in modern Northern Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spiritual culture of Western Slavs is becoming an increasingly prominent research feld in archaeology. The dynamic growth of material evidence allows archaeologists not only to expand the corpus of evidence used in their work but also to formulate new hypotheses that broaden the current state of knowledge, as well as to develop new research trajectories. The study of relics of cult-places and the material remains of ritual ceremonies play a particularly signifcant role here. Research into material culture, including iconographic sources, is of great signifcance. Both these research topics can be broadened by the studies of objects commonly extracted from the earth, namely ceramic vessels. Moreover, not only the ritual behaviour that accompanies their production, or the symbolism of vessels, as such, or their forms but also about their ornamentation is of interest. Thus far, the issue of ornamentation has remained on the fringes of mainstream scholarly debates. Marek Dulinicz is among the scholars who have made the most substantial contributions to this feld of research. However, since 2008, there have been no further studies on this topic. Although the corpus of completely preserved or fragmented vessels with fgural depictions known today has expanded, the body of material with narrative scenes remains fairly small. New fnds of vessels (or their fragments) with such imagery are found very rarely – even though numerous excavation campaigns are being undertaken – leading to the situation in which vessels with narrative scenes become rare and exceptional sources. This paper will specifcally address this particular body of material. Around twenty diferent vessels will be considered here. Most of them are known from the area inhabited by the Baltic Slavs and the territory of modern-day Poland (Masovia and Silesia). One shard comes from Slovakia. The present paper seeks to provide answers to questions about the purpose of placing fgural imagery on vessels, as well as to investigate the spatial and chronological occurrence of such fnds, and the possible functions the vessels had in the everyday lives of their users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This work reports the results of an interdisciplinary study seeking to address the issue of bone tempering in the Funnel Beaker (TRB) culture from the territory that is today Poland. In this paper we contribute to this debate by closely examining the geochemical characteristics (using INAA, ICP-MS, SEM-EDS, γ-ray spectrometry and OM) of six ceramic vessels collected from the archaeological site in Kałdus, northern Poland. Particular emphasis is placed on the need to clarify whether the bones in the pottery from Kałdus were deliberately added or incidentally incorporated in a clay paste. Through exploring the chemical, mineralogical and petrographic composition of ceramics, we also investigate whether different pastes were used contemporarily by potters from Kałdus for different types of wares during the mid-4th millennium BC. The results has allowed us to hypothesise a local provenance of the bone-tempered vase from Kałdus. Furthermore, the TRB potters' choices to add crushed and burned bones to a clay paste seemed to lack a technological basis. Rather, it appears that a temper made of bones had strong symbolic associations and was most likely ritualised in the working memory of the TRB potters from Kałdus, or even the entire TRB East Group milieu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the notion of infant and child burials in early and late medieval Poland which differed significantly from the normative funerary behaviour. Particular attention is devoted to the so-called ‘atypical’ or ‘deviant’ inhumation graves that contained allegedly apotropaic objects or stones placed directly on the deceased as well as the peculiar burials of infants in ceramic vessels. In addition to discussing archaeological materials, the authors also examine historical sources and folkloristic evidence for unusual and magic practices associated with newborns in the Middle Ages. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A group of doctors from the Medical Academy of Gdańsk carried out epidemiological studies, including internal diseases, in workers of the "Lubiana" china ceramics factory. The main purpose of the study was to improve prevention and health care of this occupational group. The paper presents clinical and epidemiological problems pertaining to the gastrointestinal diseases in the factory staff members. They were subject to physical and many other examinations taken at the Medical Academy mostly in the Clinic of Gastroenterology. The study revealed that gastrointestinal diseases made one third of all ailments in this group of workers. Stomach and duodenum ulcers proved to be the most common diseases among males while females suffered more from other gastrointestinal diseases. Among males the 36-50 age group and among females the 21-35 age group were mostly affected. Intensive smoking and irregular life-style contribute significantly to the increased incidence of gastrointestinal diseases.

This paper considers the status of studio crafts in Poland during the Stalinist period. During the first half of 1950s party ideologues sought to influence all forms of culture in terms of both form and content. In this they were guided by 'principles' of Socialist Realism which had been drafted in the Soviet Union is the 1930s. However, unlike established and traditional forms of culture such as easel painting, there was no clear ideological position on the handmade. In fact the relatively obscure and overlooked status of studio crafts meant that makers could explore practices such as abstraction which were under political embargo. In consequence, a culture of Modernist practice continued throughout a period in which Modernism in the fine arts was vilified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brzezie in the Pleszew region was first mentioned in archaeological literature, as the location where a treasure of gold artifacts dating back to the 3rd period of the Bronze Age was discovered in 1876. Archaeological research has been conducted there almost continuously since 1985. The result of many years of fieldwork is the discovery of 363 late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age graves, as well as 50 burials of the Przeworsk culture from the era of Roman influence. In the last few years, further research has been conducted by archeologist Grzegorz Szczurek. After comprehensive geophysical prospecting, the extent of the necropolis was established, and more graves were excavated. For the first time, materials for radiocarbon and luminescence dating were also collected to determine the absolute chronology for this archaeological site. Four samples were dated in the Poznań radiocarbon laboratory, and five luminescence tests were conducted in the Gliwice luminescence laboratory. Due to the complete thermo-destruction of collagen in human bones, age determination was based on carbonate fractionation. In one case, a piece of charcoal was selected for dating purposes. Considering uncertainties and the fact that both methods date different events, the results reveal concurrence, giving a 1000–500 BC range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents results of statistic calculations enabling to define the diagnostic usefulness of results of determining free aminoacids in blood plasma for evaluation of workers' exposure to grinding and ceramic dusts and welding fume. Determination of proline in the blood plasma of ceramic industry workers and electric welders and determination of hydroxyproline in welders' blood plasma were found to be a particularly significant and early index of exposure to ceramic dust or welding fume.

Abstract: The paper presents the results of investigations of mineralogical, grain and chemical composition, and ceramic properties of 18 white-firing ball clays from five producing regions in eastern and central Europe. Relationships between the bending strength of the clay after drying and its grain size and mineralogical composition were studied. High contents of illite and illite/smectite minerals in the clay, and low crystallinity of kaolinite and illite, strongly influenced plasticity but also improved sinterability, as appropriate phase transitions of clay minerals began at lower temperatures. The clays were also highly reactive towards other components of the ceramic batches for porcelain stoneware tile production. The ball clays from the Donetsk region in Eastern Ukraine are recommended for the porcelain stoneware tile production in Poland, while the Polish, German and Czech clays may be used only as supplementary components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The appearance of the Linear Pottery Culture (LBK) on Poland territory initiated the process of neolithization in the area. However, as we will see in this article, this colonization took place later than previously thought. The stage, which in Poland is called as the early phase, actually corresponds only to the Fomborn/Ačkovy stage of LBK, and the earliest dating currently indicates around 5350 BC. Due to the small number of sites from this phase excavated on a large scale in Poland, this stage of the culture's development is poorly known. The Gwoździec Project is focused on the earliest stage of LBK settlement in south-eastern Poland. Excavation at the site was finished in 2018. Therefore, the article presents preliminary results of interdisciplinary analyzes, such as research on ceramics, flint production and use, and botanical remains. They point to various aspects of the economy of these early agricultural communities and significantly enrich the knowledge of this period in Central Europe. They also expose the chronological development of the oldest LBK development stage in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Documenta Praehistorica is the property of Documenta Praehistorica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Mineral Resources Management / Gospodarka Surowcami Mineralnymi is the property of Mineral & Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)