The archaeological team, led by Mariusz Ciszak, discovered artifacts including pottery and bronze items during an excavation at the Tomisławice site of the Konin Brown Coal Mine.
"This settlement is quite unique," Ciszak said. "Actually, we are not even sure if it might be a burial mound."
The initial discovery was made during the first survey of two archaeological sites earmarked for examination in the brown coal extraction area.
The dig covered an area of just under an acre.
Regional heritage conservation authorities ordered a second survey to determine the total area for examination.
Ciszak anticipates that the archaeological work could continue for about another month, during which time no mining activities can take place at these sites.
The Lusatian culture period, described by Ciszak as a "pre-Polish culture," is known for its burial customs where deceased individuals were cremated, and their ashes placed in urns buried with everyday objects.
The Lusatian culture existed in the later Bronze Age and early Iron Age in most of what is now Poland and parts of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, eastern Germany and western Ukraine.
The most famous site associated with this culture is the 8th-century BC settlement found in Biskupin, some 300 km northwest of Warsaw, now a reconstructed open-air museum.
Concurrent excavations are underway at a second site at Tomisławice, where findings suggest the presence of ancient pits used for so-called dry distillation to produce charcoal, dating back to the early Middle Ages—substantially later than the Lusatian settlement.
These archaeological activities are part of a broader initiative to preserve historical sites prior to mining operations.
According to Natalia Lipowczyk, a local heritage conservation officer, these sites were preliminarily identified during the Archaeological Picture of Poland program, and further investigated before commencing excavations.
The artifacts discovered will be sent to the District Museum in Konin.
(rt/gs)
Source: naukawpolsce.pl