28 May 2023 The Future is the Product of the Past

Will new Technology be able to Solve the Mystery in Masovia?

Although there are about 500 medieval tombs found in today’s Masovia and Podlasie cities, the question of who these tombs belonged to is still a mystery.

Archaeologists and historians continue to debate. Are the tomb owners local residents, Scandinavians, or people from the east?

Dr. Dariusz Błaszczyk from the Faculty of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw told Science Poland: “The graves in these cemeteries are very distinctive. They have characteristic stone surroundings made of large boulders. They are also often covered with smaller cobblestones.”

However, the cemeteries remain a major mystery for researchers since it is unknown who was buried there. There are some conflicting definitions, according to Dr. Bazczyk. The study of necropolises started more than a century ago. Archaeologists have discovered hundreds of skeletons and equipment associated with the dead.

Some researchers speculated that they were Scandinavian in origin, pointing out that graves with stone surrounds from that time period are also known from Scandinavia.

Błaszczyk said: “But there are no northern objects in the graves in Masovia, so this concept does not seem true. In addition, these graves look different.”

Another theory is that these are the necropolises of the Balts, who were gradually Slavicized. Some historians conclude that Ruthenians were buried there because similar graves have been discovered in Belarus and Russia. However, it is unclear if they are from the same time frame.

In comparison to other areas of the Piast Kingdom, the local Slavic population used a peculiar method of burial, according to Baszczyk.

The project is financed by the National Science Centre and led by Professor Andrzej Buko from the Polish Academy of Sciences. Photo: M. DZİK

Most of the excavations took place in the 1960s and 1970s, but the first excavations were carried out in the 19th century. The methods that were available at the time were applied. Błaszczyk and his team hope to find an answer to questions using methods previously unavailable as part of their project.

Baszczyk and his team began the project by taking samples from many skeletons’ bones and dating them using the radiocarbon process, which is still widely used in archaeology. They have preliminary results. Previously, no procedure has been used to establish the age of any of the 500 cemeteries. Based on the typology of pottery and other artifacts discovered in graves, scientists estimated their age.

Błaszczyk said: “The cemeteries are grouped in two clusters, around Płock and Drohiczyn. Until now, it was believed that the ones in Podlasie are younger, and the Masovian ones are older. Our analysis shows that they are from the same period. They come from the end of the 10th century and were used until the end of the 12th or the beginning of the 13th century.”

DNA study will also be used by the researchers and will be carried out by Professor Wieslaw Bogdanowicz’s team from the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. By examining the haplogroups of the deceased, they will seek an answer to the question of where they came from. The genetic testing will help ascertain the possible kinship of those buried in the cemeteries, as well as their blood, hair, and eye colors.

In addition, strontium and oxygen isotope studies will also help determine the origin. Researchers would be able to assess the deceased’s estimated diet by analyzing carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur isotopes. Dr. Rafał Fetner of the University of Warsaw’s Faculty of Archaeology will conduct the investigations.

The area of Masovia (which also included Podlasie at that time) in the 11th-13th centuries was within the borders of the Piast state, but according to researchers, very little information about it from contemporary texts has been preserved. Hence the great problem with determining the identity of the huge community that lived there and used a distinctive type of burial.

The project is financed by the National Science Centre and led by Professor Andrzej Buko from the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Source: PAP

Photo: M. DZİK

Banner
Related Post

1,800-year-old Roman remains discovered in valley of eastern Turkey

21 February 2022

21 February 2022

Roman remains dating back 1800 years have been found in a valley in eastern Turkey. Among the Roman ruins found...

In the ancient city of Syedra: a unique mosaic with the 12 labors of Heracles depicted on a single panel found

25 July 2022

25 July 2022

During the excavations in the ancient city of Syedra in the Alanya district of Antalya, approximately 164 square meters of...

The 2000-year-old origin mystery of the Etruscans solved

25 September 2021

25 September 2021

A genetic analysis of DNA taken from ancient skeletons appears to have answered a conundrum that has captivated researchers for...

A burial complex dating to the Second Intermediate Period has been discovered at the Dra Abu el-Naga necropolis at Luxor

12 April 2023

12 April 2023

At the Dra Abu el-Naga necropolis in Luxor, a family burial complex from the Second Intermediate Period has been found....

Two Archaic Sculptures was Unearthed in Milas Euromos 2021 Excavations

2 July 2021

2 July 2021

Milas Euromos 2021 archaeological excavations continue. During the excavations of Milas Euromos 2021, archaeologists unearthed two archaic period statues (kuros)...

Works on Brussels metro line uncovered remains of the second city wall

18 April 2023

18 April 2023

Construction work on the new metro line 3 in Brussels, the Belgian capital, has revealed part of the second rampart...

Three-room Urartian tomb with liquid offering area (libation) found in eastern Turkey

18 January 2023

18 January 2023

A three-room Urartian tomb with a rock-cut libation (liquid offering area) to offer gifts to the gods was unearthed in...

The 1,000-year-old surgical kit found in Sican tomb, Peru

28 March 2022

28 March 2022

A set of surgical tools indicating that the deceased was a surgeon was found in a funerary bundle found in...

The New Study Says the Iranian Plateau in the Pleistocene is a Bridge Between East and West

19 May 2021

19 May 2021

Iranian researchers say the Iranian plateau served as a migration route between East and West during the Pleistocene period, which...

1500-year-old Elite tombs were discovered vicinity of the ancient seaport of Berenice Troglodytica in Egypt

22 May 2022

22 May 2022

Polish archaeologists have discovered a tomb complex near the ancient port of Berenice Troglodytica in Egypt. Archaeologists from the University...

The two sarcophagi discovered beneath Notre Dame start to reveal their secrets

12 December 2022

12 December 2022

The owner of one of the two sarcophagi that were found in an excavation at the intersection of Notre Dame...

Unusual construction material may be linked to the Tower of Babel

5 November 2021

5 November 2021

Archaeologists have recently discovered bitumen and mortar plastered onto a brick dating back to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II. This...

In Moravia, archaeologists discover divine thrones, thousands of artifacts and a new settlement

13 August 2021

13 August 2021

During a four-year dig in the Moravian city (Czech Republic) of Perov, rare gems, mysterious burial places, and divine thrones...

Habib-i Neccar Mosque, one of the first mosques in Anatolia, was destroyed in the earthquake

12 February 2023

12 February 2023

Antakya Habib-i Neccar Mosque, one of the first mosques built in Anatolia, was destroyed in the earthquake that killed tens...

Ruins of the 700-year-old wharf, possibly used by royalty, found in Oslo

6 March 2023

6 March 2023

An excavation by NIKU archaeologists in Oslo’s seaside neighborhood of Bjørvika has uncovered the remains of a long section of...

Comments
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *