Archives
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ECHOES OF WAR – 20th-CENTURY CONFLICT ARCHAEOLOGY
Vol. 61 (2023)The goal of archaeology as a scientific discipline – in the classical approach used since the mid-19th century – has been to learn about the history of societies from the earliest times to the appearance of the first written sources. This definition, although still valid, has begun to undergo significant revision in the last half-century. First, in European areas, the acquisition of sources using the method of archaeological research covered medieval and early modern times, then, gradually, moved closer and closer to the present day. These shifting boundaries were not sharp, just as the boundaries between historical eras are blurred.
In the current volume of Archaeologia Polona, we present a set of articles with varied content, presenting archaeological echoes of wars that have swept through the areas of Central Europe in recent times.
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THE LORDS OF FLINT – 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE PREHISTORIC STRIPED FLINT MINES IN KRZEMIONKI
Vol. 60 (2022)
The earliest research on the siliceous raw materials in the territory of Poland dates back to the first years after World War I. A patriarch of these studies was an archaeologist Stefan Krukowski (1890–1982). Together with Jan Samsonowicz (1888–1959), then a young geologist, they undertook a grand survey focused on flint deposits and prehistoric exploitation sites. The year 2022 brings a centennial celebration of their most prominent discovery: Krzemionki.
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Archaeology of Post-Medieval Pottery in Poland and Beyond. Tradition and Innovation
Vol. 59 (2021)This year’s volume of Archaeologia Polona features contributions focused on early-modern ceramics, the majority of which were found across present-day Poland and Czechia. Most of the papers concentrate on synchronic and antithetical processes occurring in pottery-making between the 16th and 18th centuries.
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The Neolithic in Polish Lands. Fundamentals, Research Directions and Interpretations of Cultural Systems – Fifty Years Ago and Today
Vol. 57 (2019)Fifty years have now passed since the publication in 1969 of Jan Kowalczyk’s text entitled Początki neolitu na ziemiach polskich [The Origins of the Neolithic Age on Polish Territories] (Wiadomości Archeologiczne, 34(1): 3-69), which was an exceptional work because of its critical stance towards existing knowledge. The theses and opinions contained in this publication quickly aroused wide discussion in the milieu of Polish archaeologists, and they also became an inspiration for later research.
This anniversary has prompted us to prepare a thematic publication, which contains texts by over a dozen researchers making use of the latest research to discuss the nature of the economic, technological and cultural changes that took place in the 6th to 3rd millennia BC in the Polish lands and in their immediate vicinity. The centre of attention of most of these articles is the state of knowledge about the origins and beginnings of the production economy in Polish lands, including the formation of native Neolithic social structures. [From Editorial] -
Characteristics and Distribution of Siliceous Rocks in Prehistory
Vol. 56 (2018)We are delighted to have the chance to present a new volume of Archaeologia Polona, dedicated to the characteristics and distribution of siliceous rocks in prehistory. The papers that are published here were mostly presented in their initial form at conferences held in the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw on December 2016, May 2017 and in Vilnius in September 2016. (...) The present volume is opened by two papers concerning the distribution and use of siliceous rocks in the Palaeolithic. The next group of papers deals with ‘chocolate’ flint – its characterization and pres-ence in site assemblages. Subsequent papers contribute to the discussion of the role of ‘chocolate’ flint in lithic processing during the Mesolithic and Neolithic in present-day Poland. The next two papers present the procurement and distribution of non- and siliceous rocks within Stone Age communities. [From Editorial]
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Pottery and glass in contemporary studies
Vol. 55 (2017)Pottery and glass are common finds at archaeological sites, contributing importantly to research on ceramic and glassware production, and the use and significance of these products in all historic periods. Formal analyses along with in-depth studies of pro-duction techniques and types of decoration, complemented with physical and chemical analyses, lead researchers to present hypothetical chronologies for particular artifacts and to identify production sites. uch studies also let us reconstruct various aspects of everyday life, extending our knowledge of the economic and cultural relationships of a town, stronghold or settlement with other regions, sometimes very distant ones. Indi-rectly, they allow us to draw conclusions on the economic status of inhabitants, as well as their preferences and lifestyle. The materiality and contextuality of pottery and glass finds permit a wider application of quantitative, spatial and instrumental analyses leading to more precise results. Ceramic and glass objects may well become a means to resolving many historical issues. [From Editorial]
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Investigating Geochemical and Petrographic Methods for Identifying Siliceous Rocks in Archaeology
Vol. 54 (2016)(...) In addition to ongoing investigations describing the occurrence and geological nature of the raw material, determination of the number of levels at which the raw material occurs in the limestone, and the stratigraphic context and geological dating of the layers, a principal goal is to identify instrumental method/methods for accurately distinguishing siliceous rocks and applying the results in archeological studies. The cooperation between archeologists and geologists started by Krukowski and Samsonowicz continues and the collection of studies presented here are the latest results of those cross-disciplinary cooperative efforts directed to understanding the origin, occurrence and characteristics of siliceous rocks, and their exploitation and conveyance by prehistoric communities. [From Editorial]
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Archaeological Prospection
Vol. 53 (2015)For the second time in its history, Archaeologia Polona dedicates an entire volume to archaeological prospection, understood as a growing range of non-invasive methods for recording archaeological structures. As in volume 41 issued in 2003, there is foremost a large set of articles documenting the application of geophysical methods in the inves-tigation of archaeological sites. There are also articles on the GIS methods, processing and visualization, technical aspects. Recent years have witnessed a rapid development of ground-scanning technology (LiDAR), also represented in the volume. A novel element are articles from the field of the history of archaeological geophysics.The volume accompanies the 11th International Conference on Archaeological Prospection, organized on 15–19 September 2015 in Warsaw by the journal’s publisher, the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (together with the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology of the University of Warsaw and the Scientific Association of Polish Archaeologists). [From Editorial]
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