Tomasz Gralak - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Books by Tomasz Gralak
Archaeology of Body and Thought; From the Neolithic to the beginning of the Middle Ages. Oxford: Archaeopress Archaeology 2024.
Influence from the Danubian Zone of the Barbaricum on the Territory of Poland in Late Antiquity. Archaeological Studies. Wrocław 2012. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego.
Papers by Tomasz Gralak
![Research paper thumbnail of Macedonian bronzes as the materialization of a world outlook, [in:] Z. Kobyliński, C. Metzner-Nebelsick, C. Pare, B. Tessmann and K. Zdeb (eds.), Archaeologica hereditas, Archaeology without borders. Papers in honour of Louis Daniel Nebelsick, 119-130. Warszawa.](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/120078783/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Archaeologica hereditas, Archaeology without borders. papers in honour of Louis Daniel Nebelsick, 2024
In vigilia-Auf der Wacht? Römerzeitliche zoomorphe Schlüsselgriffe aus Belginum 67 Karol Dzięgiel... more In vigilia-Auf der Wacht? Römerzeitliche zoomorphe Schlüsselgriffe aus Belginum 67 Karol Dzięgielewski One of a kind? Contextualization and taphonomictraceological assessment of hoard II discovered at an Early Iron Age fortified settlement in Wicina 81 Tomoko Emmerling Dodona revisited-notes on the sacred topography of the sanctuary of Zeus at Dodona 89 Robin Bernhard Franke Ein Schuh mit Knöpfen und Flügeln. Überlegungen zum Bedeutungsgehalt einer frühlatènezeitlichen figürlichen Fibel vom Bestattungsareal Steigerhaushügel am Dürrnberg bei Hallein 97 Marina Gallinaro and Alessandro Vanzetti The remains of a whole. Multi-materiality of prehistoric figurines 109 Radosław Gawroński The truth behind creative images. The representations of Mongol warriors on the Mōko Shūrai Ekotoba (蒙古襲来絵詞) or Mongol invasion scroll 115 Martin Gojda On the meaning, ethics and approach of archaeology towards open science. An essay presented from the Central European perspective 119 Tomasz Gralak Macedonian bronzes as the materialization of a world outlook 131 Barbara Grassi
KULTURA WIELBARSKA Procesy przemian i kontakty zewnętrzne, 2024
The article attempts to identify the economic and social model in the Early Roman Iron Age in the... more The article attempts to identify the economic and social model in the
Early Roman Iron Age in the southern part of the Baltic zone. The main emphasis was on the Wielbark culture. Both written and archaeological sources were analyzed. The funeral rite was treated as information about the social hierarchy and the circulation of goods. It was recognized that the barrow burial rite, available only to a few – indicates the existence of a permanent and extensive social structure. The lack of weapons in the graves proves that they were rationed. Furnishing burials with items made of non-ferrous and precious metals suggests an extensive network of trade connections. These raw materials could not be extracted from
the Baltic Sea zone and had to be imported entirely from the Roman Empire. Amber can be considered the most probable equivalent of exchange. As the depositing of metal objects into graves was continuous, it resulted in the regular withdrawal of goods from circulation. These losses could only be replenished through the continuous exchange. In this sense, the emergence and functioning of the Wielbark culture depended on contacts with the dominant economic partner. The weakening of these relations associated with the so-called crisis of
Fontes Archaeologici Posnanienses, vol. 58, 2022
The article analyzes the socio-economic relations in the Central European Barbaricum. Ancient wri... more The article analyzes the socio-economic relations in the Central European Barbaricum. Ancient written sources were confronted with archaeological data. An attempt was made to define the general principles of the economic model. The method of access to the means of production, distribution of goods, and the resulting structure was examined. Equivalents of exchange and the type of emerging trade relations were recognized. The nature of economic and political relations with the Roman Empire was also indicated.
FOLIA PRAEHISTORICA POSNANIENSIA T. XXVIII, 2023
The result of the military, political and economic activity of the Huns in Europe was the depopul... more The result of the military, political and economic activity of the Huns in Europe was the depopulation of vast areas, massive ethnic changes, and the destruction of many previous political organisms. The question arises as to why they were so successful. They had knowledge and skills that were alien to the European civilization of that time but perfectly known among the nomadic population of Central Asia and China. Therefore, their activity can be seen as a confrontation of different cultural models. In this sense, it was a clash of civilizations-almost in a sense proposed by S. Huntington.
Przegląd Archeologiczny, 2023
In the caves of South East Asia, artefacts from the Pleistocene period known as the Hoabinhian cu... more In the caves of South East Asia, artefacts from the Pleistocene period known as the Hoabinhian culture are found. They also include the oldest evidence of using pottery technology in this region. The adoption of the new technology can be seen as a deeper specialization within the hunter-gatherer economy. The use of pottery facilitates and accelerates the thermal processing of food (i.e., cooking or possibly roasting). In addition, some foods require prolonged or repeated cooking; otherwise, they may be toxic or difficult to digest. The article analyzes vessels fragments from the XomTrai Cave and additionally from the Hiem Cave – both in Hoà Bình Province in Vietnam. Based on physical characteristics, four formal and
technological groups were distinguished, corresponding to three phases of use. The first is related to the decline of the Hoabinhian communities – the so-called Dabutian (the Da But culture), the second with the early Neolithic Phung Nguyen culture (or horizon), and the third with the early
Bronze Age Go Mun culture.
Comptes Rendus Palevol, 2023
This paper presents a case study from the Hiem cave (Hoà Bình province, North Vietnam) showing ho... more This paper presents a case study from the Hiem cave (Hoà Bình province, North Vietnam) showing how a multidisciplinary approach in archaeological research can develop knowledge on the everyday life of the hunter-gatherer Hoabinhian groups occupying the cave during the early Holocene (8500-8200 cal BC). The archaeological analysis presents the characteristic Hoabinhian artefacts and their usage, while archeozoological, malacological and archaeobotanical research throw light on the way of life, including plant and animal elements of a daily diet as well as the settlement seasonality of the cave.
Przegląd Archeologiczny, 2022
The article analyses various archaeologically perceptible methods of withdrawing goods from circu... more The article analyses various archaeologically perceptible methods of withdrawing goods from circulation. This phenomenon is known as potlatch. Its social and economic context was considered on the basis of various prehistoric cultures in Central Europe. It is pointed out that this is a phenomenon typical of a peripheral economy and a hierarchical
social structure.
V SPRAWOZDANIE BISKUPIŃSKIE, ed. by J. Kopiasz, H. P. Dąbrowski, A. Grossman, W. Piotrowski , 2017
Metrological analysis of selected buildings from the settlement in Biskupin showed that in all th... more Metrological analysis of selected buildings from the settlement in Biskupin showed that in all the identified building phases a specific and repeated measure of length was used. It was found that two units were used for the layout of the buildings – the first one had a value of 0.620 833 m and the second was half as long and measured 0.310416 m. Due
to the existence of measurements of similar length in the Mediterranean world and in other parts of Europe, they were defined as the Biskupin ell and foot. The proportions of the sides of the buildings also suggest that the inhabitants of the Biskupin fortified settlement used the duodecimal system for their measurements. It was also noticed that to determine the right angle, the so-called Pythagorean triangles were used, that is right triangles with sides expressed by integers: 3, 4, 5, 9, 12, 15 and in one case with a slight inaccuracy: 4, 7, 8.0622. Probably the basic tools used for measuring were a rope and measuring stick.
Slavia Antiqua , 2022
In the early first century AC, in the north of Poland (predominantly in Pomerania), the Wielbark ... more In the early first century AC, in the north of Poland (predominantly in Pomerania), the Wielbark culture developed with its group of specific features. Among them were numerous items of jewellery. It seem that their use was related to an extended social hierarchy and distant interregional trade contacts. The raw material used by the jewellers was most probably obtained from melted Roman coins. Amber exports were at the economic basis of obtaining the coins. The most frequent forms of trinkets: snake-and adder-inspired bracelets, reverse pear pendants, S-shaped buckles and others, are of entirely foreign origin. Their prototypes can be traced back to the pre-Roman areas along the Danube occupied by the Thracians and the Dacians or the La Tène culture population.
![Research paper thumbnail of 2020/2021 Kultura materialna – realizacja idei czy schematów poznawczych? [w:] B. Gediga, S. Nowaczyk, H. P. Dąbrowski, M. Olszta-Bloch (red.) Od archeologii przedmiotów do archeologii idei, 89-116. Biskupin-Wrocław.](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/87348228/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Analysis of Bronze Age material culture artefacts reveals a striking stylistic difference between... more Analysis of Bronze Age material culture artefacts reveals a striking stylistic difference between ceramic and metal objects. This phenomenon is characteristic of almost all cultures from that period. Vessels were adorned mostly with rectangular and triangular ornaments, while various circular motifs were dominant among decorations on bronze objects. It would seem that this division is a result of different sources of inspiration for each category of objects. As one might suspect, ceramic vessels imitated forms of those made of organic resources, often manufactured by weaving. This also applies to patterns (ornaments) that decorated them. In case of metal objects, their most characteristic feature – shine, made them resemble other shining phenomena. This would probably involve astronomic objects – stars, the Moon and above all else the Sun. This association might have been the reason behind various circular and spiral motifs. It seems plausible that it was a way of imitating shapes and movements of celestial bodies. This leads us to the question: to what extent did material objects reflect ideas, and to what extent they illustrated very simple beliefs about the workings of the world. Characteristically, the same beliefs pertained to very different fields (cosmos and bronze objects, weaving and ceramics). Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that these activities were a realization of cognitive schemas.
This would seem to project an altogether pessimistic view of the nature of cognition and ways of creating culture. The picture outlined above would suggest that as humans we have a tendency to be caught up in our own limitations.
Śląskie Sprawozdania Archeologiczne, 2015
The aim of the study is to analyze the cultural and chronological attribution of the grave locate... more The aim of the study is to analyze the cultural and chronological attribution of the grave located into rectangular ditch feature from Domasław 36 district Wroclaw. The formal comparison with other such constructions from the La Tène and Roman Period was conducted. Metrological analysis was made also. It showed that for during construction rectangular ditch was used repeat-able unit of length-0,3575 m. It was pointed out that the analogical similar measure was used in the architecture of the Przeworsk culture and Elbian circle population. Based on these data, it was found that this rectangular ditch feature is dated to the early Roman Period.
FOLIA PRAEHISTORICA POSNANIENSIA 26, 2021
The economy of any community depends on the values which are considered to be the most important.... more The economy of any community depends on the values which are considered to be the most important. Social organization and technologies are subordinated to their implementation. In traditional societies, including people of the La Tène culture, the most significant issues concerned the status of individuals and the resulting interpersonal relations. The position in rank was manifested and gained through participation in military expeditions. The economy was subordinated to military action. Nonetheless, new technologies and financial solutions created opportunities for military success. This, however, has its price in enormous social inequalities and almost permanent war.
PŘÍSPĚVKY K POZNÁNÍ BARBARSKÝCH KOMUNIT (ARCHEOLOGIE BARBARŮ 2016 A 2018). SPISY ARCHEOLOGICKÉHO ÚSTAVU AV ČR BRNO 70,, 2021
In Tyniec nad Ślęzą was excavated a burial ground from the beginning of the Migration period. Ten... more In Tyniec nad Ślęzą was excavated a burial ground from the beginning of the Migration period. Ten inhumation graves were discovered.
Amongst them were recorded partial burials, reopened graves as well as graves covered with stelae. In terms of ritual and grave goods they
correspond to the horizon of inhumation graves occurring from the Black Sea areas via the Danube region to Silesia.
Zwierzęce szczątki kostne z wielokulturowego stanowiska archeologicznego w miejscowości Górzec, stan. 13, pow. strzeliński, woj. dolnośląskie, Polska
Przegląd Archeologiczny, 2014
Rytm przemian kulturowych w pradziejach i średniowieczu", Biskupin, 07-09 lipca 2010 / Tomasz Gralak
Przegląd Archeologiczny, 2010
Archaeology of Body and Thought; From the Neolithic to the beginning of the Middle Ages. Oxford: Archaeopress Archaeology 2024.
Influence from the Danubian Zone of the Barbaricum on the Territory of Poland in Late Antiquity. Archaeological Studies. Wrocław 2012. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego.
Archaeologica hereditas, Archaeology without borders. papers in honour of Louis Daniel Nebelsick, 2024
In vigilia-Auf der Wacht? Römerzeitliche zoomorphe Schlüsselgriffe aus Belginum 67 Karol Dzięgiel... more In vigilia-Auf der Wacht? Römerzeitliche zoomorphe Schlüsselgriffe aus Belginum 67 Karol Dzięgielewski One of a kind? Contextualization and taphonomictraceological assessment of hoard II discovered at an Early Iron Age fortified settlement in Wicina 81 Tomoko Emmerling Dodona revisited-notes on the sacred topography of the sanctuary of Zeus at Dodona 89 Robin Bernhard Franke Ein Schuh mit Knöpfen und Flügeln. Überlegungen zum Bedeutungsgehalt einer frühlatènezeitlichen figürlichen Fibel vom Bestattungsareal Steigerhaushügel am Dürrnberg bei Hallein 97 Marina Gallinaro and Alessandro Vanzetti The remains of a whole. Multi-materiality of prehistoric figurines 109 Radosław Gawroński The truth behind creative images. The representations of Mongol warriors on the Mōko Shūrai Ekotoba (蒙古襲来絵詞) or Mongol invasion scroll 115 Martin Gojda On the meaning, ethics and approach of archaeology towards open science. An essay presented from the Central European perspective 119 Tomasz Gralak Macedonian bronzes as the materialization of a world outlook 131 Barbara Grassi
KULTURA WIELBARSKA Procesy przemian i kontakty zewnętrzne, 2024
The article attempts to identify the economic and social model in the Early Roman Iron Age in the... more The article attempts to identify the economic and social model in the
Early Roman Iron Age in the southern part of the Baltic zone. The main emphasis was on the Wielbark culture. Both written and archaeological sources were analyzed. The funeral rite was treated as information about the social hierarchy and the circulation of goods. It was recognized that the barrow burial rite, available only to a few – indicates the existence of a permanent and extensive social structure. The lack of weapons in the graves proves that they were rationed. Furnishing burials with items made of non-ferrous and precious metals suggests an extensive network of trade connections. These raw materials could not be extracted from
the Baltic Sea zone and had to be imported entirely from the Roman Empire. Amber can be considered the most probable equivalent of exchange. As the depositing of metal objects into graves was continuous, it resulted in the regular withdrawal of goods from circulation. These losses could only be replenished through the continuous exchange. In this sense, the emergence and functioning of the Wielbark culture depended on contacts with the dominant economic partner. The weakening of these relations associated with the so-called crisis of
Fontes Archaeologici Posnanienses, vol. 58, 2022
The article analyzes the socio-economic relations in the Central European Barbaricum. Ancient wri... more The article analyzes the socio-economic relations in the Central European Barbaricum. Ancient written sources were confronted with archaeological data. An attempt was made to define the general principles of the economic model. The method of access to the means of production, distribution of goods, and the resulting structure was examined. Equivalents of exchange and the type of emerging trade relations were recognized. The nature of economic and political relations with the Roman Empire was also indicated.
FOLIA PRAEHISTORICA POSNANIENSIA T. XXVIII, 2023
The result of the military, political and economic activity of the Huns in Europe was the depopul... more The result of the military, political and economic activity of the Huns in Europe was the depopulation of vast areas, massive ethnic changes, and the destruction of many previous political organisms. The question arises as to why they were so successful. They had knowledge and skills that were alien to the European civilization of that time but perfectly known among the nomadic population of Central Asia and China. Therefore, their activity can be seen as a confrontation of different cultural models. In this sense, it was a clash of civilizations-almost in a sense proposed by S. Huntington.
Przegląd Archeologiczny, 2023
In the caves of South East Asia, artefacts from the Pleistocene period known as the Hoabinhian cu... more In the caves of South East Asia, artefacts from the Pleistocene period known as the Hoabinhian culture are found. They also include the oldest evidence of using pottery technology in this region. The adoption of the new technology can be seen as a deeper specialization within the hunter-gatherer economy. The use of pottery facilitates and accelerates the thermal processing of food (i.e., cooking or possibly roasting). In addition, some foods require prolonged or repeated cooking; otherwise, they may be toxic or difficult to digest. The article analyzes vessels fragments from the XomTrai Cave and additionally from the Hiem Cave – both in Hoà Bình Province in Vietnam. Based on physical characteristics, four formal and
technological groups were distinguished, corresponding to three phases of use. The first is related to the decline of the Hoabinhian communities – the so-called Dabutian (the Da But culture), the second with the early Neolithic Phung Nguyen culture (or horizon), and the third with the early
Bronze Age Go Mun culture.
Comptes Rendus Palevol, 2023
This paper presents a case study from the Hiem cave (Hoà Bình province, North Vietnam) showing ho... more This paper presents a case study from the Hiem cave (Hoà Bình province, North Vietnam) showing how a multidisciplinary approach in archaeological research can develop knowledge on the everyday life of the hunter-gatherer Hoabinhian groups occupying the cave during the early Holocene (8500-8200 cal BC). The archaeological analysis presents the characteristic Hoabinhian artefacts and their usage, while archeozoological, malacological and archaeobotanical research throw light on the way of life, including plant and animal elements of a daily diet as well as the settlement seasonality of the cave.
Przegląd Archeologiczny, 2022
The article analyses various archaeologically perceptible methods of withdrawing goods from circu... more The article analyses various archaeologically perceptible methods of withdrawing goods from circulation. This phenomenon is known as potlatch. Its social and economic context was considered on the basis of various prehistoric cultures in Central Europe. It is pointed out that this is a phenomenon typical of a peripheral economy and a hierarchical
social structure.
V SPRAWOZDANIE BISKUPIŃSKIE, ed. by J. Kopiasz, H. P. Dąbrowski, A. Grossman, W. Piotrowski , 2017
Metrological analysis of selected buildings from the settlement in Biskupin showed that in all th... more Metrological analysis of selected buildings from the settlement in Biskupin showed that in all the identified building phases a specific and repeated measure of length was used. It was found that two units were used for the layout of the buildings – the first one had a value of 0.620 833 m and the second was half as long and measured 0.310416 m. Due
to the existence of measurements of similar length in the Mediterranean world and in other parts of Europe, they were defined as the Biskupin ell and foot. The proportions of the sides of the buildings also suggest that the inhabitants of the Biskupin fortified settlement used the duodecimal system for their measurements. It was also noticed that to determine the right angle, the so-called Pythagorean triangles were used, that is right triangles with sides expressed by integers: 3, 4, 5, 9, 12, 15 and in one case with a slight inaccuracy: 4, 7, 8.0622. Probably the basic tools used for measuring were a rope and measuring stick.
Slavia Antiqua , 2022
In the early first century AC, in the north of Poland (predominantly in Pomerania), the Wielbark ... more In the early first century AC, in the north of Poland (predominantly in Pomerania), the Wielbark culture developed with its group of specific features. Among them were numerous items of jewellery. It seem that their use was related to an extended social hierarchy and distant interregional trade contacts. The raw material used by the jewellers was most probably obtained from melted Roman coins. Amber exports were at the economic basis of obtaining the coins. The most frequent forms of trinkets: snake-and adder-inspired bracelets, reverse pear pendants, S-shaped buckles and others, are of entirely foreign origin. Their prototypes can be traced back to the pre-Roman areas along the Danube occupied by the Thracians and the Dacians or the La Tène culture population.
Analysis of Bronze Age material culture artefacts reveals a striking stylistic difference between... more Analysis of Bronze Age material culture artefacts reveals a striking stylistic difference between ceramic and metal objects. This phenomenon is characteristic of almost all cultures from that period. Vessels were adorned mostly with rectangular and triangular ornaments, while various circular motifs were dominant among decorations on bronze objects. It would seem that this division is a result of different sources of inspiration for each category of objects. As one might suspect, ceramic vessels imitated forms of those made of organic resources, often manufactured by weaving. This also applies to patterns (ornaments) that decorated them. In case of metal objects, their most characteristic feature – shine, made them resemble other shining phenomena. This would probably involve astronomic objects – stars, the Moon and above all else the Sun. This association might have been the reason behind various circular and spiral motifs. It seems plausible that it was a way of imitating shapes and movements of celestial bodies. This leads us to the question: to what extent did material objects reflect ideas, and to what extent they illustrated very simple beliefs about the workings of the world. Characteristically, the same beliefs pertained to very different fields (cosmos and bronze objects, weaving and ceramics). Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that these activities were a realization of cognitive schemas.
This would seem to project an altogether pessimistic view of the nature of cognition and ways of creating culture. The picture outlined above would suggest that as humans we have a tendency to be caught up in our own limitations.
Śląskie Sprawozdania Archeologiczne, 2015
The aim of the study is to analyze the cultural and chronological attribution of the grave locate... more The aim of the study is to analyze the cultural and chronological attribution of the grave located into rectangular ditch feature from Domasław 36 district Wroclaw. The formal comparison with other such constructions from the La Tène and Roman Period was conducted. Metrological analysis was made also. It showed that for during construction rectangular ditch was used repeat-able unit of length-0,3575 m. It was pointed out that the analogical similar measure was used in the architecture of the Przeworsk culture and Elbian circle population. Based on these data, it was found that this rectangular ditch feature is dated to the early Roman Period.
FOLIA PRAEHISTORICA POSNANIENSIA 26, 2021
The economy of any community depends on the values which are considered to be the most important.... more The economy of any community depends on the values which are considered to be the most important. Social organization and technologies are subordinated to their implementation. In traditional societies, including people of the La Tène culture, the most significant issues concerned the status of individuals and the resulting interpersonal relations. The position in rank was manifested and gained through participation in military expeditions. The economy was subordinated to military action. Nonetheless, new technologies and financial solutions created opportunities for military success. This, however, has its price in enormous social inequalities and almost permanent war.
PŘÍSPĚVKY K POZNÁNÍ BARBARSKÝCH KOMUNIT (ARCHEOLOGIE BARBARŮ 2016 A 2018). SPISY ARCHEOLOGICKÉHO ÚSTAVU AV ČR BRNO 70,, 2021
In Tyniec nad Ślęzą was excavated a burial ground from the beginning of the Migration period. Ten... more In Tyniec nad Ślęzą was excavated a burial ground from the beginning of the Migration period. Ten inhumation graves were discovered.
Amongst them were recorded partial burials, reopened graves as well as graves covered with stelae. In terms of ritual and grave goods they
correspond to the horizon of inhumation graves occurring from the Black Sea areas via the Danube region to Silesia.
Zwierzęce szczątki kostne z wielokulturowego stanowiska archeologicznego w miejscowości Górzec, stan. 13, pow. strzeliński, woj. dolnośląskie, Polska
Przegląd Archeologiczny, 2014
Rytm przemian kulturowych w pradziejach i średniowieczu", Biskupin, 07-09 lipca 2010 / Tomasz Gralak
Przegląd Archeologiczny, 2010
Die Beile in Polen III", Jerzy Kuśnierz, Stuttgart 1998 : [recenzja] / Tomasz Gralak
In this article, an assumption has been made that in power centres, settlement concentrationwas a... more In this article, an assumption has been made that in power centres, settlement concentrationwas accompanied by accumulation of goods, capital and weapons. Within the Przeworsk culture, the areain question encompassed the basins of the Prosna and the Warta. It remains uncertain if the area can beassociated with the so-called Lugii Grove, a centre of political and religious power described by Tacitus.
Cynophagia in the Púchov (Celtic) Culture Settlement at Liptovská Mara, Northern Slovakia
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2013
ABSTRACT This paper deals with the remains of butchered dogs from the La Tène and Early Roman sit... more ABSTRACT This paper deals with the remains of butchered dogs from the La Tène and Early Roman sites in northern Slovakia. A large settlement revealed at Liptovská Mara was inhabited by the Celtic tribe of Cotini, representing the so-called Púchov culture. The long-term excavation of the site has yielded one of the largest collections from that time in Slovakia. During archaeozoological analysis, the skeletal remains of dogs were identified. Interestingly, a large portion of the specimens represent the cranial skeleton, and the majority of mandibles bear distinctive marks of butchery. On the basis of their placement and similar characteristics, the authors conclude that they resulted from tongue-removal procedures. Moreover, their frequent occurrence clearly supports the idea of the use of dog flesh at the site. The authors argue that cynophagia occurred mainly for economic reasons; however, it might also have been part of the rituals documented in the sanctuary of Liptovská Mara.
Studia Hercynia XXIV 1/2020, 2021
The analysis of the artistic expression of the population of the Únětice culture was carried out ... more The analysis of the artistic expression of the population of the Únětice culture was carried out assuming that the style is expressed through various media. Due to different materials, their properties and methods of treatment, the effects must differ in obvious ways. However, the idea remains common. Comparing subsequent elements of a culture, we can expect to perceive a set of repeatable features-the paradigms. Hence, the analytical procedure consisted in searching for and classifying similarities. It was carried out in three fields: architecture, artistic expression, and paratheatrical activity. The results obtained indicate that the artistic activity of the population of the Únětice culture was a harmonious whole. Individual types of expression were complementary and in part also resulted from each other.
Przegląd Archeologiczny
in this paper, paratheatrical activities are defined and archaeological finds that may confirm th... more in this paper, paratheatrical activities are defined and archaeological finds that may confirm their presence are indicated. they are first of all manifested through the burial type and certain forms of artefacts. the analysis of the phenomenon focuses on the bronze age in central europe. it is discussed in the context of the following archaeological cultures: the Únětice culture, the tumulus culture, and the urnfield culture.
The archaeology of the Balkans displays a unique variety of burial practices, spanning from the N... more The archaeology of the Balkans displays a unique variety of burial practices, spanning from the Neolithic through to the Roman times. Each period presents distinct graves with unique burial rites and various types of grave goods. This diversity offers a promising foundation for studying the complex relationship between material culture and the human body, both in life and after death. Our research focuses specifically on jewelry and other forms of personal adornment, which we propose were not only functional or decorative but also integral to forming human/non-human hybrids. From this point of view, material culture acts as an extension of the body itself, altering perceptions of social status and identity. In our session, we aim to explore a range of issues and questions. For instance, why would a corpse need jewelry or another personal equipment? Does cadaver possess needs, or is it just a reflection of living people's needs? When a society lays one of its members to rest, what roles do material artifacts play in this farewell process? Furthermore, how do such objects express the emotions of the mourners, and what do they reveal about cultural attitudes toward death? We also seek to question the identities symbolized by opulently adorned graves: is the buried individual remembered as an ideal ancestor, a fetish, a relic, or something else entirely? How do jewelry and personal belongings speak to the deceased's gender and social status, if at all? Does these artifacts really have a special power? These questions are still open. We welcome scholars to contribute their interpretations and insights into these issues, furthering the discourse on how material culture intersects with the body, identity, and memory in the burial practices of the ancient Balkans.
Piotrowski (red.) Inspiracje i funkcje sztuki, pradziejowej i wczesnośredniowiecznej, 61-98, Bisk... more Piotrowski (red.) Inspiracje i funkcje sztuki, pradziejowej i wczesnośredniowiecznej, 61-98, Biskupin-Wrocław. (Skeuomorphismone of keys to understanding prehistoric art) 73. Gralak T. (b) Architecture, style and structure in the Early Iron Age in Central Europe. Wrocław. (Second edition-monograph) 72. Gralak T. (c) Od motywów triangulacyjnych do krzywoliniowych, czyli o genezie sztuki scytyjskiej, [w:] D. Minta-Tworzowska (red.), Estetyka w archeologii. Obrazowanie w pradziejach i starożytności, 191-225, Gdańsk 2018.
BORDERS IN PROVINCES – CULTURAL BORDERS, 18th International Colloquium on Roman Provincial Art, Belgrade–Viminacium, May 20–25th 2024, 2024
During the late Roman period, significant changes in artistic expression took place. The first on... more During the late Roman period, significant changes in artistic expression took place. The first one to recognize it was A. Riegl with his "Die spätrömische Kunstindustrie..." from 1901, where he analyzed the ornamentation from the Danubian areas. In the case of sculpture, the characteristic feature is the abandonment of canonic proportions and naturalistic representation of the human body. As an example, bronze portraits of Constantine the Great from Nis and stone sculptures from the Balcan Roman provinces can be shown. Looking at the face, it is clearly visible that the eyes are significantly too big. The question is why Romans decided to represent human faces that way. The answer is given by the neoplatonian philosopher Plotinus. In his work 'The Eneads', he presented a new approach to understanding beauty. He underlined the connection of beauty with spiritual values: ‘(…) and what is the secret of the beauty there is in all that derives from the soul?’ (Ennead I 6, On Beauty 1). For Plotinus, the beauty of the face is dependent on the personality, deeds, and "quality of soul" of the particular person: ‘(…) since the one face, constant in symmetry, appears sometimes fair and sometimes not, can we doubt that beauty is something more than symmetry, that symmetry itself owes its beauty to a remoter principle?’ (Ennead I 6, On Beauty 1).
It seems that the big, 'bulging' or semispherical eyes were a way of representing the value of the human soul. This tradition originated in classical Greece: ‘Did you ever observe that the face of the person looking into the eye of another is reflected as in a mirror; and in the visual organ which is over against him, and which is called the pupil, there is a sort of image of the person looking?’ (Plato, Alcibiades I, 132E-133A).
Importantly, Plotinus's approach to beauty was widely accepted by early Christians. Saint Augustine postulated that art should imitate God's work of creation as much as possible. The new way of representation of the human body (like sculptures) was also associated with a new religion. It is not a coincidence that big eyes are still characteristic of icons of the orthodox church.
23. Śląskie Sympozjum Archeologiczne w Sobótce 25-28.09.2024, 2024
Na przełomie sierpnia i września 2024 we wsi Brzoza przeprowadzono archeologiczne prace wykopalis... more Na przełomie sierpnia i września 2024 we wsi Brzoza przeprowadzono archeologiczne prace wykopaliskowe na nowoodkrytym stanowisku. Znaleziono je poprzez analizę markerów roślinnych widocznych na zdjęciach satelitarnych. Rozpoznano szereg jam, z których część była otoczona okręgami. Następnie wykonano badania magnetometryczne, które wykazały obecność anomalii w miejscach wskazanych przez markery roślinne. Badania wykopaliskowe przeprowadzono w obrębie trzech rozpoznanych w ten sposób obiektów. Były to pochówki kurhanowe z okresu halsztackiego. W każdym z nich odkryto komorę grobową z popielnicą, oraz dużą liczbą przystawek ceramicznych i innych zabytków. Wyróżniał się zwłaszcza kurhan nr 1, w obrębie którego znaleziono ponad 40 naczyń, dwie żelazne siekierki, grot oszczepu, miecz oraz elementy rzędu końskiego. Pomiędzy kurhanami odkryto także płaskie groby popielnicowe. Ponieważ zdeponowane były w spągu warstwy ornej rozpoznano je jako skupienia potłuczonej ceramiki.