THE USE OF LOWER-SILESIAN SERPENTINITES IN THE EARLY MIDDLE-AGES

Geological Quarterly, 2018

This pa per con strains the prov e nance of pol ished tools used in the Corded Ware cul ture (CWC) in Moravia. Based on op ti cal mi cros copy, Přichystal and Šebela (1992) sug gested the source for the CWC bat tle-axes would be the Gogołów-Jordanów Mas sif in Lower Silesia (Po land). The pres ent study ex am ines 14 ser pen tin ite tools from ar chae o log i cal sites of Cen tral Moravia. We have lo cated the or i gin of the tools' raw ma te rial by ap ply ing de tailed petrographic, geo chem i cal and petrophysical meth ods, as well as com par i sons with data from prob a ble ser pen tin ite sources. Pos si ble sources are ad ja cent to the Sowie Góry Block (mainly the Gogołów-Jordanów Mas sif) and within other ar eas in Cen tral Eu rope (Penninic Bernstein Win dow, West ern Lugicum and the east ern part of the Moldanubicum). Its most prob a ble source is the Gogołów-Jordanów Mas sif, which is a part of the Ślęża ophiolite. The tools re sem ble the raw ma te rial source in sev eral ways: firstly in mag netic sus cep ti bil ity, with an av er age value of ~40 × 10-3 SI; sec ondly, in the light yel low ish-green patched patinated sur face and very strong serpentinisation with al most no pri mary min eral rel ics; and lastly, in the oc cur rence of pseudo morphs filled with opaque min er als, and also parts with magnesite ag gre gates, which are quite rare. The main common fea ture is the pres ence of large pri mary zoned spi nels, with Cr-and Al-rich cores and Fe-rich rims. The con clu sions are sup ported by the re sults of bulk-rock chem i cal anal y sis, both the raw ma te rial from Lower Silesia and the tools be ing Mg-rich. In ad di tion, the shape of some Moravian bat tle-axes (from Prusinovice) cor re sponds to the Ślęża type that is be lieved to be char ac ter is tic of Lower Silesia. The es ti mated dis tance of trans port from the source area in Gogołów-Jordanów Mas sif to the ar chae o log i cal sites in Cen tral Moravia is >260 km.

Przegląd Archeologiczny

the geological reserve of piekiełko (tomaszów lubelski district, lublin voivodeship, poland) was established in 1962 to protect the sandstone boulders untypical of this region. there are anthropogenic earthen ramparts in their immediate vicinity. the presence of the ramparts and boulders contributed to the recognition of this place as an archaeological site-an immovable archaeological monument. owing to local legends and its peculiar folk name (piekiełko means "little hell"), scientific monographs and heritage tourism have regarded piekiełko as a prehistoric or medieval place of worship. however, despite the distinctive land relief and a prominent place in local tradition, piekiełko has never been subject to in-depth archaeological research. as a result, we could only have speculated on the original function of the ramparts, their chronology, cultural affiliation, and potential relation to the boulders. this paper addresses the need to determine the history of piekiełko and systematize the history of research concerning this place. it presents the results of interdisciplinary research using geological and archaeological methods, complemented by analysis of archival sources: written, cartographic, and iconographic.

Iaie Pan Sygn P 244, 1984

Excavations were resumed of an upper Palaeolithic loess site at Piekary (1), Kraków province (W. Morawski, Zakład Archeologii Małopolski IHKM PAN, Kraków). The NE limit of a large concentration of artifacts of workshop character was determined. The assemblage has been assigned to the Laugeric-Lascaux Interstadial.

Iaie Pan Sygn P 244, 1979

The Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Large scale rescue excavations conducted for five years at Brzoskwinia-Krzemionki (19), Kraków province (K. Sobczyk, B. Ginter, Muzeum Archeologiczne and Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Kraków) have led to the discovery of further flint workshops associated with the late palaeolithic Magdalenian techno-complex. At Sromowce Niżne (21), Nowy Sącz province (J. Rydlewski, P. Valde-Nowak, Komisja Archeologiczna Oddziału PAN, Kraków) excavations were continued of a late palaeolithic camp site associated with assemblages containing curved backed bladelets and end-scrapers of the Tarnowa type. The character of relics indicates the presence of a workshop whose activity was based on the use of radiolarite for the production of tools. Late palaeolithic sites were moreover discovered and explored at Lipnica Wielka (22),

The paper is focused on general overview of quernstone quarrying and distribution in the Sudety mountains in southwestern Poland during the early Middle Ages (the 6th to the 13th century). The historical and geographical the region is called Lower Silesia. The rocks are dominated by various types of granites, gneisses, mica schists and amphibolites formed during the Caledonian and the Variscian orogenies. The results are based on petrographic analysis of previously excavated material. During the early Middle Ages, Slavs formed the economic basis of this region. One of the economic branches was the exploitation and trade of stone material with e.g. quernstone production. Most of the quernstones are from archaeological sites excavated before the Second World War and in the 1960s and 1990s. They are made from granite and a minor amount from garnet-mica schist. The granitic querns originate from quarries located on the northern slopes of the Ślęża Massif, which was exploited from the Roman Period until the 15th century. Relicts of ancient and Middle Age extraction sites and large amounts of unfinished quernstones have been discovered. Quernstones made from these quarries and from erratic blocks are widely distributed in Lower Silesia. A few quarries of garnet-mica schist display production of quernstones. One such quarry that was excavated is situated in Kamieniec Ząbkowicki, close to a Slavic settlement from the 9th to the 10th century. A small number of quernstones and unfinished products were found. Studies employing an electron microprobe were conducted on quernstones and other artefacts, as well as local occurrences of garnet-mica schist.

Analecta Archaeologica Ressoviensia 14, 11-20, 2019

In this paper, we use a set of methods applied for geosciences to reveal the provenance of raw materials and historical aspects of technology of lime production from the post-Cistercian church (southwestern Poland). Two types of building stones (mica schists and sandstones) and two groups of mortars, related with two different construction phases (Gothic and Baroque), were used for construction of the church façade. Principal difference between binding materials involves the presence of Mg-rich phase within Baroque mortars as a result of carbonation of a dolomitic lime whereas Gothic mortars are devoid of hydromagnesite. Mineral composition of the fillers of both mortars is similar, suggesting the same origin represented by local eluvium. Binders of studied mortars are composed of calcite and/or hydromagnesite and rich in lime lumps suggesting incomplete calcination. Studied mortars are weathered which is manifested by presence of gypsum. However, there is no evidence of commonly occurring Mg-rich secondary phases within Baroque mortar probably due to higher solubility of these salts comparing to gypsum. Mineralogical study combined with archeological and geological information enables us to indicate potential sources for the studied building materials. Metamorphic rocks, prevailing within the façade, come from abandoned quarries located in the closest vicinity of the church, whereas sandstones were acquired from the deposits located at a distance of tens of kilometers from the Kamieniec Ząbkowicki. Raw materials used for lime burning were gathered from Przeworno (Gothic mortars) and Złoty Stok area (Baroque mortars) located approximately 25–30 and 12 km from studied church.

Iaie Pan Sygn P 244, 1982

The Palaeolithic and the Mesolithic During investigations of the Palaeolithic site at Kraków, Spadzista Street (79), site C2 (J. K. Kozłowski, B. Drobniewicz, K. Sobczyk and E. Chochorowska, Uniwersytet Jagielloński and Muzeum Archeologiczne, Kraków) two levels associated with the Aurignacian and Gravettien (Kostenki-Avdeevo) cultures have been distinguished. The levels yielded several thousand flint artifacts and abundant osteological materials. Excavations were continued of the late Palaeolithic site at Mosty (23), Kielce province, site 13 (K. Cyrek, Muzeum Archeologiczne i Etnograficzne, Łódź). The analysis of materials and the C 14 date (9340 ±280 BC, Lod-107) indicate that the site should be attributed to the broadly conceived ,,Magdalenian" culture. The investigations of the dune site at Wolkusz (8), Suwałki province, site 5 (K. Szymczak, Konserwator Zabytków Archeologicznych, Suwałki), led to the discovery of numerous flint materials of the Swiderian culture from the final Palaeolithic. Excavations were commenced at Płonka-Kozły (9), Białystok province, site 1 (E. Gieysztor, Państwowe Muzeum Archeologiczne, Warszawa) in the area of flint workshops of the Masovian cycle from the final Palaeolithic. The discoveries at Michałów (16), Piotrków Trybunalski province, site 1 (E. Niesiołowska-Śreniowska, Muzeum Archeologiczne i Etnograficzne, Łódź) included traces of two dwelling features, quadrangular in outline, as well as flint artifacts of the Mesolithic Komornica culture.

Geology, Geophysics & Environment, 2013

The early mediaeval period witnessed a considerable breakdown in masonry techniques and in architecture in the Polish territory: the application of stone and developing of skills of shaping rocks into regular cuboid stone bricks. Only local stones quarried within a distance of ca. 15 km from Krakow were used in early mediaeval edifices in the city. They were: two varieties of limestones (Upper Jurassic) and three varieties of sandstones of the Carpathian flysch (Cretaceous to Palaeogene). Sedimentary environments (facies) and post-sedimentary processes determined compactness, block divisibility and workability of stones, which, further on, determined their application. Thin bedded sandstone and platy limestone yielded easily workable and relatively small (few to a dozen of centimetres in length) and quite regular bricks used in the earliest buildings. Rocky limestone was a source of irregularly shaped clumps used initially as a filler of walls erected in the opus emplectum technique. Later, it was used also for cutting larger (few tens of centimetres), more regular blocks. Bedded limestone was a good material for obtaining larger (a dozen or two dozens of centimetres) regular bricks used widely throughout the whole early mediaeval period. Blocks (2 or more metres in length) of soft dimension Carpathian sandstone were used for shaping and carving large elements: tombstones, columns, volutes, epitaphs, etc. Techniques of quarrying and stone working developed considerable with time. Initially, slope scree and stone from demolished older ramparts were used. Later, quarries reached deeper beds which yielded larger bricks and blocks. Stone sources migrated with time too. The earliest places of excavation were located within the city, e.g. on the Wawel, Ska³ka and Krzemionki hills. When those deposits were exhausted, mining moved to more distant spots.

Iaie Pan Sygn P 244, 1983

The Palaeolithic and the Mesolithic The excavations at Łykowe (9), Sieradz province, site 1 (M. Cyrek and K. Cyrek, Muzeum Archeologiczne i Etnograficzne, Łódź), operied in 1978, were continued. Exploration of a flint workshop, related to a camp, was concluded, revealing several thousand flint artifacts with a late Palaeolithic character. The second season of excavations at Płonka-Strumianka (6), Białystok province (E. Gieysztor-Szymczak, Państwowe Muzeum Archeologiczne, Warszawa) produced a further 6 thousand flint artifacts representing the late Palaeolithic industry of the Masovian cycle with local characteristics. In the fifth season at the site of Januszkowo Kujawskie (5), Bydgoszcz province (A. Prinke, Muzeum Archeologiczne, Poznań) the exploration of an extensive concentration of flint artifatcs was concluded. The early Neolithic date of the complex and its association with the Komornica culture were confirmed.