Kultura łużycka czy kultura kurhanów zachodniobałtyjskich (?) na stanowisku Szczepanki 8, Mazury

Abstrakt

Th e author focuses on the question of chronology and culture attribution of evidence recovered at Szczepanki site 8, in the Great Mazurian Lakes Region, N E Poland. For the time being this material is being dated to the closing stages of the Bronze Age, possibly, onset of the Iron Age. Most of the archaeological evidence from the site has been linked to the para-neolithic Zedmar culture or to the culture units of the Neolithic: Globular Amphorae, Funnel Beaker or Corded Ware cultures (cf. W. GumiAski in the same volume). Even so, a number of features identified at the summit of the investigated island on former Lake Staswiny, now a hummock rising from the peat-bog, trench "K" (Fig. 1), produced material attributable either to Lusatian Culture, or West Balt Barrow Culture, genetically the derivative of the former. After analysing ceramic material and flints (blades and tools) from Szczepanki the Author concludes that at the present stage of investigation cultural attribution is not possible. At the same time, he suggests that the findings of natural and climatic studies made at Szczepanki site 8 help to place the relics of prehistoric occupation of interest in transitional phase from the Subboreal to the Atlantic period, in strictly archaeological terminology, in BA VI (ca. 750-620 BC).<br>LUSATIAN OR WEST BALT BARROW CULTURE (?) - SZCZEPANKI, SITE 8 THE GREAT MAZURIAN LAKES REGION ( N E POLAND). The author focuses on the question of chronology and culture attribution of evidence recovered at Szczepanki site 8, in the Great Mazurian Lakes Region, NE Poland. For the time being this material is being dated to the closing stages of the Bronze Age, possibly, onset of the Iron Age. Most of the archaeological evidence from the site has been linked to the para-neolithic Zedmar culture or to the culture units of the Neolithic: Globular Amphorae, Funnel Beaker or Corded Ware cultures (cf. W. GumiAski in the same volume). Even so, a number of features identified at the summit of the investigated island on former Lake Staswiny, now a hummock rising from the peat-bog, trench "K" (Fig. 1), produced material attributable either to Lusatian Culture, or West Balt Barrow Culture, genetically the derivative of the former. After analysing ceramic material and flints (blades and tools) from Szczepanki the Author concludes that at the present stage of investigation cultural attribution is not possible. At the same time, he suggests that the findings of natural and climatic studies made at Szczepanki site 8 help to place the relics of prehistoric occupation of interest in transitional phase from the Subboreal to the Atlantic period, in strictly archaeological terminology, in BA VI (ca. 750-620 BC). The described episode of Late Bronze Age human occupation at Szczepanki is documented only by a small number of finds which makes it difficult to answer the query raised in the title. It may be easier to establish when Szczepanki 8 was reoccupied than to identify the population. It is possible to link the people Lusatian culture, West Balt Barrow Culture, or a group representative for the transitional phase between the two. Their reason for coming to the area is also worthy considering. A number of more permanent features discovered at Szczepanki suggest that site was used for more than just a hunting camp. At the same time the fill of the features is very modest and unusual, with the character of preserved animal bone (wild species only) rather untypical for Late Bronze Age. Was the area reoccupied after the lake revived? If so, what was the main activity of these people and why did they only occupy the highest point of the island? It may be seen that the relatively modest evidence of occupation has provoked more questions than we are able to answer at present. All the same, the very fact of discovery of the described type of occupation site Bronze/Iron Age transition cannot be overlooked.