Seweryn Rzepecki | Uniwersytet Gdański (original) (raw)

Books by Seweryn Rzepecki

The submitted collection of studies was planned as the first series of monographs aimed at presen... more The submitted collection of studies was planned as the first series of monographs aimed at presenting the results of the excavations carried out at the site Kwiatków 11/20, Brudzew commune.
The Kwiatków site was discovered at the end of the XIX century by Seweryn Tymieniecki – a lawyer and an enthusiast of archaeology based in Kalisz. It was him who discovered the cemetery representing the Przeworsk culture, which was located in the immediate vicinity of
Kwiatków.
Kwiatków 11/20 was discovered in 1996. After a consecutive filed walking (2006-2007) the site was subjected to excavations. They were connected with plans to develop the “Koźmin” opencast exposure belonging to the Adamów Lignite Mine SA. The excavation works were carried out in the years 2012-2015. As a result, an area of 17.38 ha was researched. Circa 18.5 thousand of features and layers located outside the features were documented. They were accompanied by
more than 295 thousand of vessels fragments, several thousands of artefacts made of flint and stone, daub with a total weight of around 1,500 kg, about 12,000 of bone fragments and hundreds of products made of metals, including c. 100 coins, 164 fibulae, over 23 belt buckles, 90 temple rings as well as spurs, tweezers, knives, rings, pendants, iron bits, arrowheads, needles and many other types of artefacts.

The fundamental purpose of the monograph is to present the sources of two Neolithic cultures, i.e... more The fundamental purpose of the monograph is to present the sources of two Neolithic cultures, i.e. TRB and GAC , obtained at the site of Wilkostowo 23/24, Aleksandrów Kujawski commune (POLAND). However, wide analytical possibilities of registered materials cause that it is not a typical monograph, but rather a case study showing analytical and interpretative possibilities of Neolithic sites situated in sandy soils environments.
Wilkostowo 23/24 is located in the north part of Kujavia (geographic coordinates: N - 52˚48᾿31.53᾿᾿; E - 18˚36᾿28.69᾿᾿), in a zone of so-called middle Tążyna river basin.
Within archaeologically recognized area wealthy remains of the TRB culture occupation were identified. They concentrate mainly on the culmination occupied by the site. Moreover, relics of the GAC culture occupation were recognized, although decidedly less numerous, which partly co-occur with the TRB culture materials.

The fundamental purpose of the monograph is to present the sources of two Neolithic cultures, i.e... more The fundamental purpose of the monograph is to present the sources of two Neolithic cultures, i.e. TRB and GAC , obtained at the site of Wilkostowo 23/24, Aleksandrów Kujawski commune (POLAND). However, wide analytical possibilities of registered materials cause that it is not a typical monograph, but rather a case study showing analytical and interpretative possibilities of Neolithic sites situated in sandy soils environments.
Wilkostowo 23/24 is located in the north part of Kujavia (geographic coordinates: N - 52˚48᾿31.53᾿᾿; E - 18˚36᾿28.69᾿᾿), in a zone of so-called middle Tążyna river basin.
Within archaeologically recognized area wealthy remains of the TRB culture occupation were identified. They concentrate mainly on the culmination occupied by the site. Moreover, relics of the GAC culture occupation were recognized, although decidedly less numerous, which partly co-occur with the TRB culture materials.

Popularnonaukowa książka o pradziejach okolicy Kwiatkowa (gm. Brudzew), Wielkopolska.

Papers by Seweryn Rzepecki

Analecta Archaeologica Ressoviensia , 2024

The discussion on the mutual relations of various elements within the Funnel Beaker culture has b... more The discussion on the mutual relations of various elements within the Funnel Beaker culture has been on for almost half a century now. It currently involves the third generation of researchers, and it is quite likely that the next generations will still have something more to add to this exchange of views (K. Jażdżewski 1970a, p. 49). Half a century has passed since that publication and now we can only assent to the Professor and risk the statement that in the next 50 years this problem will continue to be valid. This paper is intended as an attempt to sketch answer the fundamental question defined by Jażdżewski (1970a, p. 49): The essential question is whether the northern, western and southern elements balance within the Funnel Beaker culture, or whether one of
them is dominant, prime and decisive for further development. In other words, I intend to predominantly focus on the geo-cultural significance of the communities of the Funnel Beaker culture. In parallel with the essential part of the analysis, I will make an attempt to illustrate the threads of the contemporary discourse which directly relate to Jażdżewski’s thoughts.

The article deals with geological and geomorphological conditions of the construction and functio... more The article deals with geological and geomorphological conditions of the construction and functioning of wells from the Roman period of the Iron Age in a settlement on the Amber Road. This settlement is located in Central Poland (in the vicinity of Kwiatków village), on a flat surface of the lower terrace of the Warta River valley, among the dry channels of numerous streams cutting the terrace, which developed in three generations, from the Younger Dryas onwards. In the Holocene, the area was characterised by an abundance of flowing water in a multichannel system and the stability of the groundwater table. Among the archaeological features discovered there, the most interesting is a large complex of well-preserved wells dated to the early Roman period. The structures of the wells were based or dug in an organic series which constituted the terrace profile at a depth of between 2.0 and 2.5 m, dated to the late Alleröd and the Younger Dryas. In the study, the authors focus on the purpose of locating a large number of wells within a relatively small area abundant with numerous streams. The authors used a range of methods, including lithological and textural analyses, a geochronological analysis and a geochemical examination to describe the properties of the deposits and the quality of the waters. The characteristics of the wells were provided from dendrochronological studies. The archaeological approach included an analysis of the features morphology and the stage of technological advancement, as well as the diversity of the wells’ casings. The spatial and functional relationships of the locations of the wells were also given special attention.

In the last decade at least two discoveries which substantially changed the picture of Pomerania ... more In the last decade at least two discoveries which substantially changed the picture of Pomerania
Neolithisation were made. A discovery of the transitional phase to the TRB at Dąbki, Darłowo
commune, site 9, and two, almost identical, sites from the early TRB phase from Starogard
Lakeland, located in Kościelna Jania, site 13, and Bielawki, site 5.
Materials from Bielawki and Kościelna Jania have so far only been mentioned in literature
but never in the adequate way to their significance in research on the TRB origin. The aim of the
present publication is an attempt at filling this gap and the presentation of the site of Bielawki.
It especially concerns the pottery and discussion on its interpretation in the context of research
on the TRB origin.

Authors of the article would like to present the discovery of a fragment of a settlement and a gr... more Authors of the article would like to present the discovery of a fragment of a settlement and a grave of the late Linear Pottery culture from
Sikorowo, site 20, Inowrocław commune, Cuiavia region. The grave, or rather its equipment, is particularly interesting, as it allows us to carry
out detailed chronological and chorological analyses.

Pétrequin P. and Rzepecki S. 2016. The adze-heads from Plemięta, Grudziądz district (Poland): Alp... more Pétrequin P. and Rzepecki S. 2016. The adze-heads from Plemięta, Grudziądz district (Poland): Alpine jades, Armorican products and very long-distance exchanges. Sprawozdania Archeologiczne 68, 39-63.
Discovered in the 19th century, the hoard from Plemięta (Chełmno county, Poland) consisted of three polished adze-heads, of which two are in the Museum in Grudziądz. Until now, this hoard had been assumed to be linked to Danubian farming communities. A petrographic approach coupled with an in-depth, Europe-wide typological study allows us to rethink this cultural attribution. In fact, the Plemięta adze-heads had very probably been made in the Armorican massif (France), produced by specialists directly influenced by the standards of the earliest adze-heads of Alpine jades from Mont Viso in the Italian Alps.This proposition, which is supported by other examples of adze- and axeheads that had probably been imported into southern Scandinavia from France, re-invigorates the hypothesis that there had been western European influences on communities of the Eastern TRB Group, pertaining to the circulation of ‘object-signs’ and ideas over distances exceeding 1500 km as the crow flies.
Key words: Plemięta, Chełmno county, Alpine jades, Bégude type adze-head, the Funnel Beaker culture.

The submitted collection of studies was planned as the first series of monographs aimed at presen... more The submitted collection of studies was planned as the first series of monographs aimed at presenting the results of the excavations carried out at the site Kwiatków 11/20, Brudzew commune.
The Kwiatków site was discovered at the end of the XIX century by Seweryn Tymieniecki – a lawyer and an enthusiast of archaeology based in Kalisz. It was him who discovered the cemetery representing the Przeworsk culture, which was located in the immediate vicinity of
Kwiatków.
Kwiatków 11/20 was discovered in 1996. After a consecutive filed walking (2006-2007) the site was subjected to excavations. They were connected with plans to develop the “Koźmin” opencast exposure belonging to the Adamów Lignite Mine SA. The excavation works were carried out in the years 2012-2015. As a result, an area of 17.38 ha was researched. Circa 18.5 thousand of features and layers located outside the features were documented. They were accompanied by
more than 295 thousand of vessels fragments, several thousands of artefacts made of flint and stone, daub with a total weight of around 1,500 kg, about 12,000 of bone fragments and hundreds of products made of metals, including c. 100 coins, 164 fibulae, over 23 belt buckles, 90 temple rings as well as spurs, tweezers, knives, rings, pendants, iron bits, arrowheads, needles and many other types of artefacts.

The fundamental purpose of the monograph is to present the sources of two Neolithic cultures, i.e... more The fundamental purpose of the monograph is to present the sources of two Neolithic cultures, i.e. TRB and GAC , obtained at the site of Wilkostowo 23/24, Aleksandrów Kujawski commune (POLAND). However, wide analytical possibilities of registered materials cause that it is not a typical monograph, but rather a case study showing analytical and interpretative possibilities of Neolithic sites situated in sandy soils environments.
Wilkostowo 23/24 is located in the north part of Kujavia (geographic coordinates: N - 52˚48᾿31.53᾿᾿; E - 18˚36᾿28.69᾿᾿), in a zone of so-called middle Tążyna river basin.
Within archaeologically recognized area wealthy remains of the TRB culture occupation were identified. They concentrate mainly on the culmination occupied by the site. Moreover, relics of the GAC culture occupation were recognized, although decidedly less numerous, which partly co-occur with the TRB culture materials.

The fundamental purpose of the monograph is to present the sources of two Neolithic cultures, i.e... more The fundamental purpose of the monograph is to present the sources of two Neolithic cultures, i.e. TRB and GAC , obtained at the site of Wilkostowo 23/24, Aleksandrów Kujawski commune (POLAND). However, wide analytical possibilities of registered materials cause that it is not a typical monograph, but rather a case study showing analytical and interpretative possibilities of Neolithic sites situated in sandy soils environments.
Wilkostowo 23/24 is located in the north part of Kujavia (geographic coordinates: N - 52˚48᾿31.53᾿᾿; E - 18˚36᾿28.69᾿᾿), in a zone of so-called middle Tążyna river basin.
Within archaeologically recognized area wealthy remains of the TRB culture occupation were identified. They concentrate mainly on the culmination occupied by the site. Moreover, relics of the GAC culture occupation were recognized, although decidedly less numerous, which partly co-occur with the TRB culture materials.

Popularnonaukowa książka o pradziejach okolicy Kwiatkowa (gm. Brudzew), Wielkopolska.

Analecta Archaeologica Ressoviensia , 2024

The discussion on the mutual relations of various elements within the Funnel Beaker culture has b... more The discussion on the mutual relations of various elements within the Funnel Beaker culture has been on for almost half a century now. It currently involves the third generation of researchers, and it is quite likely that the next generations will still have something more to add to this exchange of views (K. Jażdżewski 1970a, p. 49). Half a century has passed since that publication and now we can only assent to the Professor and risk the statement that in the next 50 years this problem will continue to be valid. This paper is intended as an attempt to sketch answer the fundamental question defined by Jażdżewski (1970a, p. 49): The essential question is whether the northern, western and southern elements balance within the Funnel Beaker culture, or whether one of
them is dominant, prime and decisive for further development. In other words, I intend to predominantly focus on the geo-cultural significance of the communities of the Funnel Beaker culture. In parallel with the essential part of the analysis, I will make an attempt to illustrate the threads of the contemporary discourse which directly relate to Jażdżewski’s thoughts.

The article deals with geological and geomorphological conditions of the construction and functio... more The article deals with geological and geomorphological conditions of the construction and functioning of wells from the Roman period of the Iron Age in a settlement on the Amber Road. This settlement is located in Central Poland (in the vicinity of Kwiatków village), on a flat surface of the lower terrace of the Warta River valley, among the dry channels of numerous streams cutting the terrace, which developed in three generations, from the Younger Dryas onwards. In the Holocene, the area was characterised by an abundance of flowing water in a multichannel system and the stability of the groundwater table. Among the archaeological features discovered there, the most interesting is a large complex of well-preserved wells dated to the early Roman period. The structures of the wells were based or dug in an organic series which constituted the terrace profile at a depth of between 2.0 and 2.5 m, dated to the late Alleröd and the Younger Dryas. In the study, the authors focus on the purpose of locating a large number of wells within a relatively small area abundant with numerous streams. The authors used a range of methods, including lithological and textural analyses, a geochronological analysis and a geochemical examination to describe the properties of the deposits and the quality of the waters. The characteristics of the wells were provided from dendrochronological studies. The archaeological approach included an analysis of the features morphology and the stage of technological advancement, as well as the diversity of the wells’ casings. The spatial and functional relationships of the locations of the wells were also given special attention.

In the last decade at least two discoveries which substantially changed the picture of Pomerania ... more In the last decade at least two discoveries which substantially changed the picture of Pomerania
Neolithisation were made. A discovery of the transitional phase to the TRB at Dąbki, Darłowo
commune, site 9, and two, almost identical, sites from the early TRB phase from Starogard
Lakeland, located in Kościelna Jania, site 13, and Bielawki, site 5.
Materials from Bielawki and Kościelna Jania have so far only been mentioned in literature
but never in the adequate way to their significance in research on the TRB origin. The aim of the
present publication is an attempt at filling this gap and the presentation of the site of Bielawki.
It especially concerns the pottery and discussion on its interpretation in the context of research
on the TRB origin.

Authors of the article would like to present the discovery of a fragment of a settlement and a gr... more Authors of the article would like to present the discovery of a fragment of a settlement and a grave of the late Linear Pottery culture from
Sikorowo, site 20, Inowrocław commune, Cuiavia region. The grave, or rather its equipment, is particularly interesting, as it allows us to carry
out detailed chronological and chorological analyses.

Pétrequin P. and Rzepecki S. 2016. The adze-heads from Plemięta, Grudziądz district (Poland): Alp... more Pétrequin P. and Rzepecki S. 2016. The adze-heads from Plemięta, Grudziądz district (Poland): Alpine jades, Armorican products and very long-distance exchanges. Sprawozdania Archeologiczne 68, 39-63.
Discovered in the 19th century, the hoard from Plemięta (Chełmno county, Poland) consisted of three polished adze-heads, of which two are in the Museum in Grudziądz. Until now, this hoard had been assumed to be linked to Danubian farming communities. A petrographic approach coupled with an in-depth, Europe-wide typological study allows us to rethink this cultural attribution. In fact, the Plemięta adze-heads had very probably been made in the Armorican massif (France), produced by specialists directly influenced by the standards of the earliest adze-heads of Alpine jades from Mont Viso in the Italian Alps.This proposition, which is supported by other examples of adze- and axeheads that had probably been imported into southern Scandinavia from France, re-invigorates the hypothesis that there had been western European influences on communities of the Eastern TRB Group, pertaining to the circulation of ‘object-signs’ and ideas over distances exceeding 1500 km as the crow flies.
Key words: Plemięta, Chełmno county, Alpine jades, Bégude type adze-head, the Funnel Beaker culture.

The dissemination of potato cultivation in the territory of Poland created a necessity for the re... more The dissemination of potato cultivation in the territory of Poland created a necessity for the regular removal of
stones from the surface of fields. The structures built with the use of these stones can imitate barrows, for example.
This issue was analysed when studying the cemetery of the Pomeranian culture in Nowa Sikorska Huta. The
author also addresses the problem in the role that imagination can play when employed for the interpretation of
archaeological features

The ways of dealing with the dead and the relationship the living had with death are one of the k... more The ways of dealing with the dead and the relationship the living had with death are one of the key elements
constituting every culture. The present article is inspired by the terror management theory and it attempts to
adapt it to the conditions of the Middle Neolithic Kuyavia. The area was inhabited by societies which fundamentally
followed different sepulchral patterns. The author of the paper aims to outline the position of funerary behaviours
in the rhythm of cultural transformations of that time.

The article discusses the results of research that was done on an aeolian hillock in the Załęcze ... more The article discusses the results of research that was done on an aeolian hillock in the Załęcze Wielkie,
Wieluń district. It was discovered in 2011 and initially considered to be the remains of a barrow which was suggested
by the results of laser scanning (LiDAR). Archaeological and geological research, however, univocally
state the natural origin of the hillock. The authors emphasize the ambiguity of the data obtained from the laser
scanning. Research extending beyond LiDAR itself must be a necessary element to acknowledge the anthropomorphic
origin of various forms of hillocks.

The aim of this article is to present views for the origin of Niedźwiedź type tombs in the Easter... more The aim of this article is to present views for the origin of Niedźwiedź type tombs in the Eastern group of the
TRB culture. The characteristics of these structures include: the presence of a foundation trench in which a
wooden palisade or wattle-work structure was originally located, the frequent lack of unambiguous burial
traces and a lack of earthen mounds. Other characteristics of these structures such as: orientation, a trapezoid
or elongated shape clearly refer to all the long tombs of the TRB culture. The author presents the context of
the Niedźwiedź type tombs occurrence. At the same time, he indicates two fundamental sources of inspiration
which potentially may have been responsible for their genesis.

Analecta Archaeologica Ressoviensia 9

The aim of the paper is to present two water wells from a settlement of the LBK culture at the si... more The aim of the paper is to present two water wells from a settlement of the LBK culture at the site of Kruszyn 3/10, Włocławek commune. The features under consideration are dated to phase IIB of this culture in Kujavia. They represent the simplest, without timber embankments type of equipment to water supply. The author also pays attention on non-utalitarian, connected with the cult sphere meaning of water wells in the LBK societies.

Sprawozdania Archeologiczne 66 (2014), p. 9-20

The aim of this paper is to re-evaluate two megaliths - tomb 8 at Sarnowo and tomb 1 at Świerczyn... more The aim of this paper is to re-evaluate two megaliths - tomb 8 at Sarnowo and tomb 1 at Świerczynek. A starting point of the analysis is presentation of conceptions of a palimpsest and perspectivism, which, in this case, are effective analytical tools. The general conclusion resulting from the present work is long duration and variety of forms of megaliths space use.

The present paper discusses the influence of geochemical properties on biogenic deposits in the W... more The present paper discusses the influence of geochemical properties on biogenic deposits in the Wilkostowo mire near Toruń, central Poland. The analysed core has allowed the documentation of environmental changes between the older part of the Atlantic Period and the present day (probably interrupted at the turn of the Meso-and Neoholocene). In order to reconstruct the main stages in the sedimentation of biogenic deposits, we have used stratigraphic variability of selected litho-geochemical elements (organic matter, calcium carbonate, biogenic and terrigenous silica, macro-and micro-elements: Na, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr and Ni). The main litho-geochemical component is CaCO 3 ; its content ranges from 4.1 per cent to 92 per cent. The variability of CaCO 3 content reflects mainly changes in hydrological and geomorphological conditions within the catchment area. The effects of prehistoric anthropogenic activities in the catchment of the River Tążyna, e.g., the use of saline water for economic purposes, are recorded in a change from calcareous gyttja into detritus-calcareous gyttja sedimentation and an increased content of lithophilous elements (Na, K, Mg and Ni) in the sediments. Principal component analysis (PCA) has enabled the distinction the most important factors that affected the chemical composition of sediments at the Wilkostowo site, i.e., mechanical and chemical den-udation processes in the catchment, changes in redox conditions, bioaccumulation of selected elements and human activity. Sediments of the Wilkostowo mire are located in the direct vicinity of an archaeological site, where traces of intensive settlement dating back to the Neolithic have been documented. The settlement phase is recorded both in li-thology and geochemical properties of biogenic deposits which fill the reservoir formed at the bottom of the Parchania Canal Valley.

Sprawozdania Archeologiczne 65, 2013