Open Access

Chronology of multicultural site Sowinki in Greater Poland

Danuta Michalska
Danuta Michalska
 and 
Andrzej Krzyszowski
Andrzej Krzyszowski
   | Mar 29, 2017
Geochronometria's Cover Image
About this article
Previous Article
Next Article
Cite
Published Online: Mar 29, 2017
Page range: 30 - 39
Received: Jun 30, 2016
Accepted: Nov 24, 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/geochr-2015-0047
Keywords
© 2016 D. Michalska.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Figure 1

Chart demonstrating the chronological scope of archaeological cultures identified in Sowinki.
Chart demonstrating the chronological scope of archaeological cultures identified in Sowinki.

Figure 2

Artefacts from the oldest cultural horizons in Sowinki; a) Mesolithic flint artefacts; from the left: cores, scrapers, truncated blades and retouched flakes (on the right); b) profile of a cloche type cremation grave (no. 174) of the Pomeranian culture; c) grave no. 59 of the Pomeranian culture; d) reconstructed vessels-cinerary urns from a cist grave no. 59.
Artefacts from the oldest cultural horizons in Sowinki; a) Mesolithic flint artefacts; from the left: cores, scrapers, truncated blades and retouched flakes (on the right); b) profile of a cloche type cremation grave (no. 174) of the Pomeranian culture; c) grave no. 59 of the Pomeranian culture; d) reconstructed vessels-cinerary urns from a cist grave no. 59.

Figure 3

Plan view of skeletal cemetery from the Early Medieval period, with division into phases and radiocarbon dates for 8 burials; 1 — the graves containing radiocarbon dated samples; 2 — ditches surrounding graves; 3 — northern boundary of the excavation; 4 — probable boundary of chronological phases of the cemetery.
Plan view of skeletal cemetery from the Early Medieval period, with division into phases and radiocarbon dates for 8 burials; 1 — the graves containing radiocarbon dated samples; 2 — ditches surrounding graves; 3 — northern boundary of the excavation; 4 — probable boundary of chronological phases of the cemetery.

Figure 4

Early Medieval period; a) furnishings of chamber grave no.148: 1–2: knives in lather sheaths; 3: fittings of knives’ sheath; 4: ring; b) plan view of a chamber grave no.148, with the remains of iron; c) silver ring from a chamber grave no.148; d) iron knives in leather sheaths, with bronze decorative fittings from different graves, from the top to the bottom: grave no. 164, grave no. 151, grave no. 148 and grave no. 176.
Early Medieval period; a) furnishings of chamber grave no.148: 1–2: knives in lather sheaths; 3: fittings of knives’ sheath; 4: ring; b) plan view of a chamber grave no.148, with the remains of iron; c) silver ring from a chamber grave no.148; d) iron knives in leather sheaths, with bronze decorative fittings from different graves, from the top to the bottom: grave no. 164, grave no. 151, grave no. 148 and grave no. 176.

Figure 5

Early Medieval findings in Sowinki; a) bronze balance scales from a merchant’s grave no. 70; b) a set of weights from a merchant’s grave no. 70, A — lead weights, B — probable stone weight uses for tarring, C — iron weights coated with bronze; c) reconstructed stave bucket from a chamber grave no. 151; d) silver coin (minted in Saxony in the years 1020–1040) from grave no. 164; e) beads made of semiprecious Stones (carnelian or rock crystal) from the grave no. 30.
Early Medieval findings in Sowinki; a) bronze balance scales from a merchant’s grave no. 70; b) a set of weights from a merchant’s grave no. 70, A — lead weights, B — probable stone weight uses for tarring, C — iron weights coated with bronze; c) reconstructed stave bucket from a chamber grave no. 151; d) silver coin (minted in Saxony in the years 1020–1040) from grave no. 164; e) beads made of semiprecious Stones (carnelian or rock crystal) from the grave no. 30.

Figure 6

Calibration in graphical form; the boundaries of phases were determined on the basis of relative chronology, radiocarbon measurements and the dating of coins (Krzyszowski, 1995, 1997; Krzyszowski and Suchodolski, in press).
Calibration in graphical form; the boundaries of phases were determined on the basis of relative chronology, radiocarbon measurements and the dating of coins (Krzyszowski, 1995, 1997; Krzyszowski and Suchodolski, in press).

Figure 7

Comparison of radiocarbon dates obtained for selected graves form older phases of early medieval cemeteries in the Polish lands (Sowinki site 23A, Pień site 9, Bodzia site 1, Dziekanowice site 22, Kałdus site 4, Lutomiersk site 1). Poz — laboratory number of samples dated by 14C in Poznań (Poland); Ki — Kiev (Ukraine); AA — Arizona (USA); MKL — Laboratorium Datowań Bezwzględnych at Cianowice near Kraków (Poland); (after references to each archaeological site, cited in the text).
Comparison of radiocarbon dates obtained for selected graves form older phases of early medieval cemeteries in the Polish lands (Sowinki site 23A, Pień site 9, Bodzia site 1, Dziekanowice site 22, Kałdus site 4, Lutomiersk site 1). Poz — laboratory number of samples dated by 14C in Poznań (Poland); Ki — Kiev (Ukraine); AA — Arizona (USA); MKL — Laboratorium Datowań Bezwzględnych at Cianowice near Kraków (Poland); (after references to each archaeological site, cited in the text).

Samples from Sowinki, location and features characteristics.

Sample nameMaterialFeature no.Feature typeArchaeological artefacts from feature
SOWI/ob70/1/1989Birch (Betula sp.)70skeletal burial38 artefacts: 3 iron knives, wooden bucket, 2 whetstones, belt buckle, iron scissors, folding weighing machine, 18 weights, 6 fishing hooks, 2 awls
SOWI/ob61/1/1989Human bone (iuvenis)*61skeletal burial1 iron knife, 1 pottery vessel
S 23A L4/2014Human bone (iuvenis)151skeletal burial8 artefacts: 2 iron knives, ornamented wooden bucket, whetstone, spear head, 2 spurs, spur buckle, awl
Sowinki 23AHuman bone (iuvenis)148skeletal burial30 artefacts: 2 iron knives, wooden bucket, whetstone, arabic silver dirham (from the years 950-976), silver ring, coffin fittings
Sowinki 23A/78Human bone (M-adultus)78skeletal burial-
Sowinki, 23A gr 57Human bone (M?-adultus)57skeletal burial1 iron knife,
SOWI/ob367/1/1989Human bone (K-adultus)367skeletal burial1 iron knife, 2 temple rings
Sowinki, 23A gr 441Human bone (M-adultus)441skeletal burial-

Results of 14C dating; M — material, W — wood, N, C — nitrogen and carbon percentage, given for bone samples; Lab code: Poz — sample dated with the AMS technique in the Poznan Radiocarbon Laboratory; calibration with OxCal v4.2.4 (Bronk Ramsey et al., 2013) and IntCal13 atmospheric curve (Reimer et al., 2013).

14C AgeCal. AgeCal. Age
Sample NameMLab. no.(BP)(68.2% conf. intervals)(95.4% conf. intervals)
(calAD)(calAD)
SOWI/ob70/1/1989WPoz-431271145 ± 30775(4.5%)790775(95.4%)975
870(63.7%)970
SOWI/ob61/1/19891.9% NPoz-431261060 ± 30965(68.2%)1020895(14.4%)925
6.2% C940(81.0%)1025
1.5% N899(24.2%)924
S 23A L4/20144.9% CPoz-642621090 ± 30945(44.0%)990892(95.4%)1014
8.4% coll
1.4% N895(27.8%)925
Sowinki 23A4.8% CPoz-720151100 ± 30940(40.4%)985885(95.4%)1015
9.0% coll
1.4% N1025(20.5%)1050
Sowinki 23A/783.8% CPoz-72789955 ± 301080(36.0%)11251020(95.4%)1155
12% coll1135(11.8%)1155
0.8% N1015(39.6%)1050990(51.3%)1060
Sowinki. 23A gr 573.1% CPoz-76789985 ± 301090(23.7%)11251075(44.1 %)1155
8.7% coll1140(5.0%)1150
2.1% N1045(33.0%)1095
SOWI/ob367/1/19896.5% CPoz-43128900 ± 301120(11.8%)11401035(95.4%)1210
1145(23.5%)1185
1.3% N1030(15.4%)1055
Sowinki. 23A gr 4413.7% CPoz-76791945 ± 301080(52.8%)11551025(95.4%)1160
1.8% coll
eISSN:
1897-1695
Language:
English
Publication timeframe:
Volume Open
Journal Subjects:
Geosciences, other
Journal RSS Feed