Weklice, stan. 7, pow. elbląski, woj. warmińsko-mazurskie. Badania w latach 2015-2016

Abstrakt

The cemetery in Weklice located at the foot of the Elbląg Heights, listed in the Register of Monuments under the number of 72/A/85, belongs to the largest biritual burial ground of the Wielbark Culture from the period between the 1st and the 4th century AD. The excavation seasons 2015 and 2016 were continued previous works aimed atexploring thesouthern part of thesite. During the two seasons of research, an area of 291 m2 was explored which led to discovery of 43 archaeological features. Most of them were inhumation and cremation burials (pits and urns) of the Wielbark Culture. A unique discovery is an inhumation burial no. 605 – explored in the 2015 season (Fig. 1). In this case, a skeleton of juvenis (lying on the right side with flexed legs) and a very rich set of grave goods were discovered. It included, among others, 2 brooches with bows made of a copper alloy with springs, and iron pins of the Almgren 43 type richly decorated with impressed silvered foils; a copper alloy disc brooch with red-yellow enamel – similar to the Exner III.48 type – imported from Roman provinces; silver knee brooch of the Almgren type (Group v, Series 9); a set of belt fittings – copper alloy belt buckle of the G16 typeaccording to Madyda-Legutko,acopperalloy strap end of the Type 5 according to Madyda-Legutko, form 1; a gold pear-shaped pendant with filigree and granulation;asilver S shapeclasp of the von Müller C type; a necklace of beads: 16 glassand 35 amber; Roman imports – a copper alloy ladle and strainer of the Eggers 161 type; a copper alloy needle and hooked pin with twisted shaft, and remains of a wooden casket (Fig. 2:1–8). These artefacts date this grave to the Phase B2/C1 – C1a according to the interregional chronology. Exceptional discoveries include a series of burials performed according to a funeral rite previously unknown in Weklice (nos. 622 and 623). Theseare cremation burials (Fig. 3–4)characterized by large pits (dimensionsca. 2.0 × 1.5 m) and depths of up to 1.0 m, filled with a firm homogeneous layer of burnt matter and charcoal (mainly alder, birch, and hornbeam) with numerous burned human bones, fragments of pottery (some of the Wielbark Culture and others of so far unspecified chronology and cultural affiliation) and a few finds – typical for the Wielbark Culture. Both stratigraphy and chronology of these burials should be connected to the youngest burials of the Wielbark Culture. As for now, they should be interpreted as cremation burials which destroyed or were dug into earlier Wielbark Culture burials. As they have not been fully excavated yet, being discovered in the southern profile of a trench from the 2016 season, their cultural and chronological affiliation has to remain tentative at the moment.