Poland: archaeologists unearth 5,000-year-old tomb with unusual offerings
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Archaeologists working in a Roman cemetery in Poland discovered a grave dating back to around 2900 BC, revealing the remains of a man buried with two severed human heads, a necklace made of 42 animal teeth, and a stone axe.
The team unearthed the unusual burial while preparing to finish excavations near Wrocław, in southwestern Poland. The axe proved key to dating the grave to the Stone Age, three millennia before the Roman cemetery it was found within.
The man’s grave contained a nearly complete skeleton alongside amber beads, a flint blade, and the axe crafted from serpentine, a greenish metamorphic rock. Researchers noted the careful arrangement of the teeth, all pierced at the root, suggesting they formed a necklace. These teeth came from large mammals like wolves, deer, bears, and possibly even humans.
Paweł Dąbrowski, a biological anthropologist from the University of Medical Sciences in Wrocław, speculated the man may have been a warrior or leader, given the grave goods. Archaeologists also found remains of two human skulls, which they believe may have been deliberately placed as offerings. This burial resembles another high-status Neolithic grave previously found in the same region, which contained sacrificed cattle.
Both graves likely belonged to members of the Corded Ware culture, a group thought to have spread Indo-European languages across Europe and Asia. Researchers plan to analyze the finds from both sites to determine if the individuals were related and to learn more about their lives 5,000 years ago, with initial results expected later this year.
