Piotr Włodarczak | Polish Academy of Sciences (original) (raw)

Papers by Piotr Włodarczak

From the Steppes to the Balkans Yamna Culture in Upper Thrace, 2024

The excavation of the Pamukli Bair barrow in Malomirovo, Yambol Province, brought the discovery o... more The excavation of the Pamukli Bair barrow in Malomirovo, Yambol Province, brought the discovery of a sequence of Early Bronze Age graves, the information value of which was improved by a long series of radiocarbon dates. The results of these investigations are the starting point for an attempt to summarise and organise the current knowledge about barrow communities in the area in the 4th-3rd millennia BC. In these studies, the leading role is played by analysing large, multi-layer barrows located in the Middle Tundzha Region and clustering on the left bank of the Sazliyka River (Maritsa-Iztok group). These mounds repeat the sequence of three phases: (1) Pre-Yamna, or east-oriented burials, (2) Early Yamna and (3) Late Yamna. The first phase is characterised by small barrows, often with various stone constructions. Apart from burials, they contain other features of ritual purpose (e.g., fireplaces and sacrificial pits). The burials of the second phase represent the Early Yamna supraregional trend and are clearly distinguished from the burials of the first phase. The analysis of the barrow burial rite in Upper Thrace indicates the presence of various cultural traditions, both allochthonous (of steppe and local origin). Chronological data suggest a relatively young dating for the earliest barrows (end of the 4th millennium BC), which corresponds to the oldest phases of settlements in Ezero and Dyadovo, i.e., the beginning of the EBA 1 phase in Upper Thrace.

From the Steppes to the Balkans Yamna Culture in Upper Thrace, 2024

Gabrova Mogila and Shekerdzha Mogila burial mounds were excavated near Kamen (Sliven Region, sout... more Gabrova Mogila and Shekerdzha Mogila burial mounds were excavated near Kamen (Sliven Region, southeastern Bulgaria) in 2011. Numerous Early Bronze Age graves were discovered there, forming complex stratigraphic systems. Thirteen radiocarbon dates were obtained within the frame of the National Science Centre (Cracow, Poland) project ‘From the steppes to the Balkans. Yamnaya culture in Thrace’. Ten dates for Gabrova Mogila allow the construction of a taxonomic and chronological
model covering the Pre-Yamna, Early Yamna, and Late Yamna phases. However, developing a model for Shekerdzha Mogila poses difficulties. In this case, obtaining more dates and revising some results is necessary.

From the Steppes to the Balkans: Yamna culture in Upper Thrace, 2024

In 2021, as part of a project of the National Science Centre (Kraków, Poland), research was carri... more In 2021, as part of a project of the National Science Centre (Kraków, Poland), research was carried out on a barrow located on the Pamukli Bair Hill in Malomirovo, Elhovo municipality, SE Bulgaria. The barrow had a diameter of about 40 m, and a height of about 4 m. Seven chronological phases were distinguished. The earliest (1) was connected with the Pre-Yamna stage and dated to the end of the 4th millennium BC. The subsequent phases were associated with the Yamna culture (2–5), the Middle Bronze Age (6), and the Late Antiquity (7). At the beginning of the 21st century, the central part of the barrow was damaged by three treasure hunters’ digs, destroying a grave assigned to Phase 3. As a result of the excavations and the subsequent analyses, a hypothetical reconstruction has become possible, considering all stages of the mound’s use. Radiocarbon dating was performed for all graves, and its results were used to build a chronological model. Thanks to this and other specialised analyses, the barrow in Malomirovo is now a key site for studies on the funerary ritual of barrow communities in the 4th–3rd millennia BC in Upper Thrace.

From the Steppes to the Balkans: Yamna culture in Upper Thrace, 2024

From 2018 to 2021, the Bulgarian-Polish expedition focused on the field research of barrows over ... more From 2018 to 2021, the Bulgarian-Polish expedition focused on the field research of barrows over Middle
Tundzha, near Yambol and Elhovo. This work was part of the National Science Centre (Kraków, Poland)
project entitled From the Steppes to the Balkans—the Yamna Culture in Upper Thrace. Implementation
was made possible thanks to the cooperation agreement between the Regional Historical Museum in
Yambol and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. As part of
the project, five burial mounds were excavated and discovered in the following locations: Mogila (2018,
two barrows), Drazhevo (2019), Zimnitsa (2019), and Malomirovo (2021); of these, the investigation
of the latest one provided the key results of the project. The results of the field research of Malomirovo,
Pamukli Bair, together with a series of specialised analyses, are the primary source of study on access
to the early steppe communities in Upper Thrace.

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2024

This article presents a double burial from Czulice indicating elements of the Hunnic culture. Ind... more This article presents a double burial from Czulice indicating elements of the Hunnic culture. Individual I, aged 7–9, and Individual II, aged 8–9 with a skull deformation, were both genetically identified as boys. Individual II, who exhibited genetic affinity to present day Asian populations, was equipped with gold and silver items. In contrast, Individual I displayed European ancestry. The application of strontium isotope analysis shed light on the origins of the individuals. Individual I was non-local, while Individual II was identified as a local, but also falling within the range commonly associated with the Pannonian Plain. Stable isotope analysis suggested a diet consisting of inland resources. Through radiocarbon dating, this burial was determined to date back to the years 395–418 CE, making it the earliest grave of its kind discovered in Poland. The analyses have provided new insights into the nature of the relationship between the Huns and the local inhabitants.

doi: bioRxiv preprint Yamna expansion is bridged by a genetically Yamna individual from Mykhailiv... more doi: bioRxiv preprint Yamna expansion is bridged by a genetically Yamna individual from Mykhailivka in Ukraine (3635-3383 BCE), a site of uninterrupted archaeological continuity across the Eneolithic-Bronze Age transition, and the likely epicenter of Yamna formation. Each of these three waves propagated distinctive ancestries while also incorporating outsiders during its advance, a flexible strategy forged in the North Pontic region that may explain its peoples' outsized success in spreading their genes and culture across Eurasia 3-5,8-10 .

Sprawozdania Archeologiczne vol. 75/1, 2023

In the vicinity of Yampil (Vinnytsia oblast, Ukraine), there exists a cluster of barrows dating b... more In the vicinity of Yampil (Vinnytsia oblast, Ukraine), there exists a cluster of barrows dating back to the Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age. Nestled upon the Podillia Upland, this concentration lies at the crossroads of two cultural spheres: the Eastern European steppe and Central European region. The exploration of the Yampil barrows began during the 1980s by archaeologists from Vinnytsia. This endeavour was enriched by a Polish-Ukrainian expedition that conducted fieldwork from 2010 to 2014. Seven barrows were then examined. Today, an abundance of radiocarbon data allows the construction of a precise chronological framework for the Yampil barrow graves. We can now discern four principal stages in this sequence: (1) Late Eneolithic, (2) early Yamna, (3) late Yamna era, and (4) Catacombna. During the first two periods (3350-2800 cal BC), these barrows were meticulously constructed, sometimes evolving in multiple phases. In the latter two stages (2800-2400 cal BC), cemeteries took shape, marked by graves deliberately dug into the fully formed mounds.

Sprawozdania Archeologiczne vol. 75/1, 2023

In 2021, excavations of a barrow were conducted on the Pamukli Bair hill in Malomirovo, Elhovo mu... more In 2021, excavations of a barrow were conducted on the Pamukli Bair hill in Malomirovo, Elhovo municipality, Upper Thrace, Bulgaria. These excavations yielded a remarkable discovery-a sequence of graves dating back to the late fourth and third millennium BC. Notably, these findings prominently featured elements of the early Pit-Grave culture, also known as the Yamna culture. However, the commencement of this burial sequence was marked by graves that diverged from the norms of the Yamna culture. These early graves contained individuals interred in a crouched position, with their heads oriented towards the east. Unlike the prevalent use of ochre in the Yamna culture, this type of funeral ritual exhibited its limited presence. Comparable central graves of this kind have also been documented in other barrows throughout the Middle Tundzha region and various parts of Upper Thrace, particularly in the "Maritsa-Iztok" area. These burials can be dated to the end of the fourth millennium BC and display similarities to both local funeral traditions (Ezero A1) and graves analogous to the Cernavodă/Nizhna Mikhailivka traditions. The horizon of barrow necropolises featuring these distinctive burials is clearly discernible within the Upper Thrace region and seamlessly connects to the horizon of the early Pit-Grave culture.

Danubian Route of the Yamnaya Culture. The barrows of Vojvodina, 2021

In 2016, a Polish-Serbian expedition working within the "Danubian route of the Yamnaya culture" p... more In 2016, a Polish-Serbian expedition working within the "Danubian route of the Yamnaya culture" project excavated "Ciganska humka" barrow in Šajkaš, mun. Titel. The barrow was located in the Šajkaška region and was part of the westernmost cluster of Yamnaya culture barrows in the Eurasian steppe belt. The mound was around 50 m in diameter and approx. 2.5 m high. Two graves were discovered in the barrow. The older burial (no. 2), connected with the older phase of the Yamnaya culture, has been dated to ca. 3000-2900 BC. The younger one (no. 1) represents traits characteristic of the "classic" Yamnaya culture and has been dated to ca. 2800-2600 BC. Moreover, two concentric ditches were found, connected with the two phases of barrow construction. Nearby, a burial linked with the Sarmatian milieu and dated to the 2 nd or 3 rd century AD was discovered (grave 3). The older mound also yielded numerous animal bones, probably associated with the Early Yamnaya funeral rituals. "Ciganska humka" is currently one of the best-investigated barrows from the 3 rd millennium BC in the southern part of the Pannonian Plain.

In 2021, excavations of an Early Bronze Age barrow were carried out on the hill 'Pamukli bair' in... more In 2021, excavations of an Early Bronze Age barrow were carried out on the hill 'Pamukli bair' in Malomirovo near Elhovo, Upper Thrace, Bulgaria. Among others, three typical Yamna culture burials were discovered. Especially important is Grave no. 17-the burial of a man aged 60-70. Radiocarbon dating showed that the burial was c 3000-2900 calBC. This discovery is the starting point for the description of the funeral rite of the Yamna culture in Upper Thrace. Burials of this type are distinguished by a specific use of ochre. A unique discovery concerned the anthropomorphic stelae placed near the grave as part of the funeral practices. Burials of the early Yamna culture in southeastern Bulgaria are often related to the second phase of barrow cemeteries. This phase is preceded by graves presenting a slightly different, less clearly defined funeral ritual and dated to the end of the 4th millennium calBC.

J. Libera, P. Jarosz, P. Włodarczak, 2022

Baltic-Pontic Studies, 2021

Globular amphora Culture, Central and eastern Groups: insiGht into new ChronometriC and taxonomiC... more Globular amphora Culture, Central and eastern Groups: insiGht into new ChronometriC and taxonomiC data andrzej bronicki Victor dzhos marek Florek nadezhda Kotova oleksandra Kozak sergey makhortykh wojciech pasterkiewicz Michał Podsiadło oleksandr pozikhovskyi Marcin M. Przybyła tetyana rudych anita szczepanek marzena szmyt barbara witkowska

Folia Quaternaria, 2022

In 2019, two partially damaged features linked to the late phase of the Mierzanowice culture were... more In 2019, two partially damaged features linked to the late phase of the Mierzanowice culture were examined during a short rescue survey in Dobranowice, Kraków district. A fragmentarily preserved human skeleton was discovered at the bottom of one of the pits. Aerial prospection established that the two examined features are part of an extensive Early Bronze Age settlement, perfectly legible in a highly eroded ploughed field. The site had not been previously recorded. It belongs to a settlement micro-region abundant in settlement and funerary finds of the Mierzanowice culture. The results of the research indicate that the archaeological resources of the Lesser Poland Upland are still insufficiently known and that systematic surveys using aerial photography should be undertaken.

Baltic-Pontic Studies 25, 2021

Baltic-Pontic Studies, 2021

Around 2400-2200 BC the funerary rite in southeastern Poland underwent significant changes compar... more Around 2400-2200 BC the funerary rite in southeastern Poland underwent significant changes compared to the Final Eneolithic period. The new ritual combined features of two large cultural complexes: the older being the Corded Ware (CW) and the younger being the Bell Beakers (BB). In taxonomic terms, this new phenomenon was initially included into the "Chłopice-Veselé culture", but today it is usually referred to as the "Proto-Mierzanowice phase", considered as the initial developmental stage of the Mierzanowice culture complex (c. 2300-600 BC). 2 While ceramics connected with this period, mainly cups with zonal corded decoration, 3 have been the subject of broader studies, the small number of sepulchral finds and poor quality of much of the data did not allow for a detailed discussion of other furnishings and a comprehen

Sprawozdania Archeologiczne, 2022

Studies of artefacts from Corded Ware culture graves in western Lesser Poland have demonstrated t... more Studies of artefacts from Corded Ware culture graves in western Lesser Poland have demonstrated that raw materials originating from the eastern Świętokrzyskie region take a leading role: Świeciechów flint (for the production of axes), and chocolate flint (for making flake and blade tools). New data obtained through the study of settlement sites in the vicinity of Kraków have highlighted the significant role of another hitherto little-noticed raw material: K-type flint (otherwise known as the Wielka Wieś type). This raw material was used mainly for the production of core tools. Workshops producing axes from this flint were discovered on the right bank of the Vistula River in the area between Kraków-Bieżanow and Zakrzów. Tools made from K-type flint appear in Final Eneolithic graves north of Kraków as well, and another production centre is known from this region, near Ojców. The provenance of the raw materials used in the vicinity of Ojców and in the Kraków-Bieżanów-Zakrzów area remains undetermined. Hypothetically, two deposits with different locations were used. In light of new discoveries made during large-scale rescue research projects, the raw material preferences in Final Eneolithic Lesser Poland seem more complex than previously believed, and they varied from micro-region to micro-region.

Studia Praehistorica, 2022

The archaeological excavations of a joint Polish-Bulgarian team in 2021 at the the Pamukli Bair B... more The archaeological excavations of a joint Polish-Bulgarian team in 2021 at the the Pamukli Bair Barrow, near the village of Malomirovo in the Middle Tundzha River Valley, Upper Thrace, revealed ten Early Bronze Age graves, three Middle Bronze Age graves, and a Late Antique grave. Three constructive and five chronological phases were distinguished in the Bronze Age life of the barrow. The sequence of the Bronze Age features was additionally sustained by 19 radiocarbon dates, for which a Bayesian model was created. The first constructive and chronological phase dated back to 3104-2922 cal. BC (with an even earlier possible dating for one of the features, 3321-3016 cal. BC) and is related to three inhumation burials in a semi-supine position, with the head to the east, as well as scattered bones of a male individual. Three small barrow fills were piled above the three graves. The second constructive and chronological phase dated back to 2911-2892 cal. BC and is related to two graves that present all the characteristics of the Early Pit-Grave Culture. Feature 17 yielded three stone anthropomorphic stelae as well. The second barrow fill was constructed above these two graves. The third constructive and chronological phase dated back to 2881-2808 cal. BC and is related to two more features that could mark the end of the Early Pit-Grave period. Above them, the last barrow fill was piled and thus, the barrow reached its modern dimensions. Two Late Pit-Grave Culture graves were dug in the central part of that fill. They mark the fourth chronological Bronze Age phase dating back to 2681-2506 cal.

SCIENCE, 2022

We present the first ancient DNA data from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic of Mesopotamia (Southeastern... more We present the first ancient DNA data from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic of Mesopotamia (Southeastern Turkey and Northern Iraq), Cyprus, and the Northwestern Zagros, along with the first data from Neolithic Armenia. We show that these and neighboring populations were formed through admixture of pre-Neolithic sources related to Anatolian, Caucasus, and Levantine hunter-gatherers, forming a Neolithic continuum of ancestry mirroring the geography of West Asia. By analyzing Pre-Pottery and Pottery Neolithic populations of Anatolia, we show that the former were derived from admixture between Mesopotamian-related and local Epipaleolithic-related sources, but the latter experienced additional Levantine-related gene flow, thus documenting at least two pulses of migration from the Fertile Crescent heartland to the early farmers of Anatolia.

From the Steppes to the Balkans Yamna Culture in Upper Thrace, 2024

From the Steppes to the Balkans: Yamna culture in Upper Thrace, 2024

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2024

Sprawozdania Archeologiczne vol. 75/1, 2023

Danubian Route of the Yamnaya Culture. The barrows of Vojvodina, 2021

J. Libera, P. Jarosz, P. Włodarczak, 2022

Baltic-Pontic Studies, 2021

Folia Quaternaria, 2022

Baltic-Pontic Studies 25, 2021

Baltic-Pontic Studies, 2021

Sprawozdania Archeologiczne, 2022

Studia Praehistorica, 2022

SCIENCE, 2022

Kopalnie krzemienia na stanowisku „Za garncarzami” w Ożarowie, 2020

ОЛЕКСАНДР КОСЬКО, МИХАЙЛО ПОТУПЧИК, СЕРГІЙ РАЗУМОВ Вступ При пізнанні культурного ландшафту Подні... more ОЛЕКСАНДР КОСЬКО,
МИХАЙЛО ПОТУПЧИК, СЕРГІЙ РАЗУМОВ
Вступ
При пізнанні культурного ландшафту Подністров’я
на території Ямпільського району (Вінницька
об ласть) виділяється помітна концентрація кур-
ган них об’єктів, які визначають північно-за хід-
ний рубіж їхнього степово-лісостепового ареалу
(шир ше див. розділи 1.1 та 1.2). Розкопки „ям-
пільських” курганів – у межах рятівних до-
сліджень – розпочалися у 1984 році. В ролі їх
творців були визначені (у переважній більшості)
суспільства ямної культури (далі: ЯК) а в якості їх
пізніших користувачів суспільства культури Бабине
(далі: БК) та деяких культурних груп доби заліза.
Повний перелік таксонів, досліджених на місцевих
курганних могильниках, охоплює на сьогодні 71
по ховальний об’єкт (перш за все, поховань, але
виділені також і т р и з н и; ширше див. розділи 1.2;
2 та 3.2).
Проблематика „ямних” творців цілої низки
курганних могильників, що повстали між устями
дністровських приток Мурафи та Марківки, поча-
ла привертати більш широку увагу після відкрит-
тя у 1991 році в кургані № 2 біля села Писарівка
поховання з возом, яке було опубліковане у 1993
році Валентиною Загоруйко, Тетяною Лотоцькою,
Михайлом Потупчиком та Мариною Потупчик
(Загоруйко i iн. 1993)1. Можна стверджувати, що
і до цих пір „віз з Писарівки” виступає своєрід-
ним ідентифікатором „ямпільської курганної ар-
хеології” (що розвивалася у 1984-1993 роках, на
основі місцевих новобудівних проектів) – в ролі
виразного логотипу її досягнень.

PLoS ONE 13(12): e0207748, 2018

We present the first comprehensive multi-isotopic data on human and animal remains from the Final... more We present the first comprehensive multi-isotopic data on human and animal remains from the Final Neolithic Corded Ware culture (ca. 2900–2300 cal. BC) in south-eastern Poland. The study focused on communities of two settlement areas located in the Małopolska
Upland and in the Subcarpathian region. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes of bone collagen were investigated to obtain insights into human dietary preferences, whereas the strontium isotope composition of human tooth enamel was used to trace the mobility and provenance of individuals. Sr isotope data point to a non-local origin of at least one-quarter of the investigated individuals in the Subcarpathian region, consistent with associated allochthonous grave inventories of eastern or western origins. In contrast, all investigated individuals in the Małopolska Upland were of local origin. Furthermore, our study shows an example that the
use of fauna for the assessment of the local 87Sr/86Sr range of an archaeological site can lead to incorrect conclusions and suggests that a detailed Sr isotopic survey of the geological background and its hydrologic elements is necessary to provide conclusive constraints
for the identification of local and non-local individuals in prehistoric communities. Carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of bone collagen indicate an omnivorous diet that included C3-based terrestrial plant and animal resources, in which plant food dominated. In both
regions, there were no significant sex differences in dietary intakes. Higher δ15Ncoll values of younger infants presumably reflect the effect of weaning.

This preliminary study examines the potential effects of diagenetic processes on the oxygen-isoto... more This preliminary study examines the potential effects of diagenetic processes on the oxygen-isotope ratios of bone and tooth phosphate (δ 18 O) from skeletal material of individuals representing the Corded Ware Culture (2500–2400 BC) discovered in Malżyce (Southern Poland). Intra-individual variability of Ca/P, CI, C/P, collagen content (%) and oxygen isotopes was observed through analysis of enamel, dentin and postcranial bones. Using a variety of analytical techniques, it was found that, despite the lack of differences in soil acidity, not all the parts of a skeleton on a given site had been equally exposed to diagenetic post mortem changes. In a few cases, qualitative changes in the FTIR spectrum of analysed bones were observed. The data suggest that apart from quantitative analyses, i.e., the calculation of Ca/P, CI, C/P and collagen content, qualitative analyses such as examination of the absorbance line are recommended. The degree to which a sample is, contaminated on the basis of any additional, non-biogenic peaks, deemed to be contaminated should also be specified.

Analecta Archaeologica Ressoviensia, 2020

The aim of this paper is to present the multidimensional characteristics of the feature number 4 ... more The aim of this paper is to present the multidimensional characteristics of the feature number 4 at the site in Wilczyce located on the Sandomierz Upland. During exploration of the pit rich flint material, fragments of pottery vessels and animal bones were found and just above the bottom a "deposit" involved a human skull of the young female, two cattle mandibles, a sheep/goat tibia and astragalus, a damaged cattle scapula and radius, and a polishing stone were deposited. The C 14 date obtained from the tooth from the cattle jaw was 3790 ± 35 BP. Based on the shape and the size of discovered feature it is possible to classify it as a typical storage pit but presence of "deposit" enable to postulate a ritual character of assemblage that reflect some kind of burial practices of the Mierzanowice culture. Rituals in the form of interring the dead or parts of their bodies can be found also in the Unietice culture so such features may indicate the emergence of a certain supra-regional and cross-cultural trend in the early Bronze Age

ur study concerns the Corded Ware populations which occupied the southern Poland in the 3rd mille... more ur study concerns the Corded Ware populations which occupied the southern Poland in the 3rd millennium BC. We studied two settlement regions: 1 -near Cracow in the Lesser Poland, 2 -near Rzeszów in the O Subcarpathia. The distance between them is about 200 kilometers so the daily contacts were not possible. oth populations respected similar funeral behaviors. They buried their dead in B niche graves with arrangement and equipment depended on their sex and age.

The tumulus located c. 9 km to the SW of the ancient Thracian town of Kabyle, had the following d... more The tumulus located c. 9 km to the SW of the ancient Thracian town of Kabyle, had the following dimensions before the excavations: diameter 50 m and height of 3.18 m above then surrounding terrain. A single grave was investigated in the mound – an inhumation of a male individual of 15-17 years, lying at the bottom of a rectangular pit (dimensions: 1.20 x 2.50 x 0.93 m) in extended position, arms alongside the body.
The grave inventory consists of ceramic vessels – krater, kantharos, amphora, askos and lamp – and an iron knife and a spear. On the body and the floor of the pit, there were scattered parts of a funerary wreath – gilded copper leafs and clay “fruits”. Beneath the right collar-bone, a bronze coin of Antiochus II Theos/ Αντίοχος Β’ Θεός (261-246 BC), countermarked in Kabyle, was found, allowing to date the entire complex in the third quarter of the 3rd c. BC.

The barrow, located at c. 5 km to the SW of the modern town of Straldzha, had the following dimen... more The barrow, located at c. 5 km to the SW of the modern town of Straldzha, had the following dimensions before the excavations: diameter 30 m and height of 0.50 m above then surrounding terrain. A single grave was investigated in the mound – an inhumation of an adult male individual, lying on the ancient terrain in extended position, arms alongside the body.
The grave inventory includes a clay bowl and an askos, as well as an iron knife. Based on the typological characteristics of the askos, the complex could be dated to the second half of the 5th c. BC.

The excavations were made according to a Contract signed between the Institute of Archaeology and... more The excavations were made according to a Contract signed between the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology – PAS and the Regional Historical Museum – Yambol, financed under Project № NCN OPUS 2017/25/B/HS3/02516 of the National Science Center – Poland. The mound (Fig. 1) was completely investigated with 6 cremation graves, 4 inhumation graves as well as 3 features related to the mortuary practices found in it (Fig. 2).
Features Nos. 7, 9, 10 (cremation graves) were placed in the central part of the barrow. Rich grave inventory and bronze coins were found in the grave pits. Features Nos. 1-3 (cremation graves) were placed in the mound’s periphery. In all three graves bronze coins were found as well. The four inhumation graves (Nos. 8, 11-13) were places in southern part of the barrow. Rich graves inventory and bronze coins were found in the grave pits (Fig. 3). Three features related to the mortuary practices were found in the mound’s periphery as well. All features were surrounded by a ring wall, made of middle sized and large stones. Above all of them the mound was piled, with a diameter of 13 m and height of 1.0 m. Based on the mortuary practices and grave inventory, the tumulus and the structures could be dated to the second half of the 2nd – beginning of the 3rd c. AD.

The excavations were made according to a Contract signed between the Institute of Archaeology and... more The excavations were made according to a Contract signed between the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology – PAS and the Regional Historical Museum – Yambol, financed under Project № NCN OPUS 2017/25/B/HS3/02516 of the National Science Center – Poland. The mound (Fig. 1) was completely investigated with 2 cremation graves and 2 features related to the mortuary practices found in it (Fig. 2).
Primary is feature № 2 (cremation grave). Six clay vessels, iron medallion with golden encrusted plate (Fig. 3), animal bones and a bronze coin of Lucius Verus (161 – 169 AD) were found in the pit. Above the pit a small mound of virgin soil was piled. In its northern periphery the pit of feature № 3 (cremation grave) was dug. A ceramic bowl, pieces of a bronze vessel and animal bones were found in it. The two graves were surrounded by a ring wall, made of middle sized and large stones. Near the ring wall, two features related to the mortuary practices were found. Finally, above all the features a mound was piled, with a diameter of 16 m and height of 1.7 m. Based on the mortuary practices and grave inventory, the mound and its structures could be dated to the second half of the 2nd c. AD.

The excavations of 2 burial mounds, part from tumular necropolis, were made according to a Contra... more The excavations of 2 burial mounds, part from tumular necropolis, were made according to a Contract signed between the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology – PAS and the Regional Historical Museum – Yambol, financed by the National Science Center – Poland.
The mound № 4 was completely investigated with 2 cremation graves and 2 features related to the mortuary practices found in it. The mound № 5 was completely investigated with 6 cremation graves, 4 inhumation graves as well as 3 features related to the mortuary practices found in it. In the both burial mounds were examined ring walls, made of middle sized and large stones.
Based on the mortuary practices and grave inventory, the burial mounds and the structures could be dated to the second half of the 2nd – beginning of the 3rd c. AD.