Fasciculi Archaeologiae Historicae

Archaeological Interventions in Medieval Jewish Cemeteries in Western Europe

Philippe Blanchard — 2023-12-06

This article presents the main Jewish cemeteries of the Medieval period that have been the object of archaeological intervention in several countries of Western Europe (France, Spain, England, Italy, Switzerland). The objective is to synthesise the information from each site in order to highlight the main characteristics and recurring points.

The State of Archaeological Research on Jewish Cemeteries in Central Europe

Magdalena Bis — 2023-12-06

Using various sources this paper collects information about archaeological research performed up to 2023 on Jewish cemeteries in Central European countries: Czechia, Lithuania, and Poland, discussing their nature, scope, methods, and state of post-excavation work. The determinants of fieldwork – religious and cultural factors, socio-political issues, as well as conservation and scientific factors – are indicated. The number of cemeteries in the region and their state of preservation is also described. Furthermore, the paper discusses the usefulness of archaeology for understanding many aspects of the life of Ashkenazi communities in the Middle Ages and modern times.

‘Houses of Graves’ of Central-East Europe: Archaeology about Jewish Funeral Rituals

Kalina Skóra — 2023-12-06

This article presents the state of archaeological research on Jewish cemeteries in Central-East Europe, mainly on the basis of excavations conducted in Poland, Czechia, and Lithuania). It presents the possibilities of reconstructing funerary rituals on the basis of archaeological findings: the organisation of the burial space, the dress and equipment of the deceased, the layout of the corpse and the arrangement of the interior of the burial pit. Possibilities for interdisciplinary studies of the funerary customs of the Central European diaspora were studied and further research needs were identified.

Archaeological Aspects of Jewish Burial Rite

Wojciech Bis — 2023-12-06

Archaeological research in relation to Jewish cemeteries is rarely undertaken, which is why any excavations, often carried out on the occasion of investments, are extremely valuable. The excavations in the area of two Masovian cemeteries, in Bródno in Warsaw and in Węgrów, were also of a verification nature. In Bródno, an attempt was made to mark the southern border of the cemetery, and in Węgrów, an attempt was made to establish the existence of a cemetery, the extent of which is not visible in the field. In both cases, archaeological research was carried out in cooperation with the Rabbinical Commission for Cemeteries and in accordance with the guidelines considering the attitude of Judaism to human remains. Based on source and religious texts, a set of features has also been created that help in identifying burials (and cemeteries).

Jewish Cemetery at Gwarna Street (former Claassenstrasse) in Wrocław: Excavation Report from 2017 and Opportunities for Rescue and Commemoration

Aleksander Limisiewicz — 2023-12-06

Excavations in the area of the former Jewish cemetery in Wrocław at Gwarna Street (formerly Claassenstrasse) have been undertaken many times, most recently in 2017. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the cemetery has been subject to urban encroachment which gradually reduced its historic area, forcing two exhumations, followed by devastation in the 1940s under the Nazi regime. The cemetery was formally liquidated in post-war Poland, in the 1950s and 1960s. At that time, the remaining tombstones were removed and part of the area was built over. In order to develop the areas covered by the earlier exhumations, exploration works were carried out to identify the exact area. In 2017, burials from the cemetery were discovered during construction works. Excavations carried out in 2017 revealed seven individual burials, a mass grave with 115 burials in wooden cases, and 5 mass graves from WWII. Within the cases, fragments of pottery from the 18th and 19th centuries were found. The authors discuss the history of the cemetery, details of the 2017 excavation report with analysis, and current efforts to protect and commemorate the area.

Die Bestandsaufnahme jüdischer Friedhöfe und ihrer Relikte zwischen Oberschlesien und Kleinpolen – ausgewählte Fragen

Dariusz Rozmus — 2023-12-06

Since the year 1989, the inventories of Jewish cemeteries in Pilica, Olkusz (two cemeteries), Dąbrowa Górnicza, Sławków (now in the Krzykawka area, Bolesław municipality), Jaworzno, Chrzanów, Czeladź and Będzin have been carried out. In this article, the main issue will be the tombstones, which are called ‘a small architecture’. Here we focus on the typologisation of the gravestones with the special consideration of the vertical gravestone stele, which are most often associated with the term ‘matzeva’. The typologisation of the artwork material is an important preliminary work, whose goal is the complete monographic treatment of the necropolis. The chronology of the described cemeteries is the last 200 years. At the old cemetery in Olkusz there are single tombstones from the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Oldest Jewish Cemetery in Prostějov (Czechia) in the View of Archaeological Research

Tereza Holasová — 2023-12-06

Graves excavated during the rescue archaeological research of Hlaváčkovo square/Šerhovní street in Prostějov (Czechia) in 1998 can be linked to the presumed oldest Jewish cemetery owing to the presence of Jewish burial customs in the form of pottery sherds present on the eyes and mouth of the deceased, the inclusion of iron padlocks and quarry stones near the lower limbs of the deceased, and absence of complex garments. These customs had special symbolic meaning and function in Jewish burial rites. Also, the orientation of the deceased in the W-E direction, the use of wooden coffins reinforced by iron nails, and the stretched position on the back with arms stretched along the body corresponds with Jewish burial rites. A high concentration of children’s graves suggests that a section reserved for children’s burials called ‘nefele’ was discovered. Dating of the discovered part of the cemetery to the 17th and 18th centuries is based on analysis of archaeological features, stratigraphic relationships and finds originating in the 43 discovered graves.

Der mittelalterliche jüdische Friedhof in Erfurt

Karin Sczech — 2023-12-06

In Erfurt, a part of the medieval Jewish cemetery was excavated in 2013. For the first time in Germany, it was possible to carry out both anthropological and genetic studies on the burials recovered there. 14C analyses completed the research. The results are therefore of great importance beyond the site itself. They are a first step towards tracing the migrations of the Jews from late antiquity to the late Middle Ages and researching today’s genetic diseases of Ashkenazi Jews from their origins.

The Ohel of Israel Joshua Trunk in the Jewish Cemetery in Kutno (Poland)

Artur Ginter — 2023-12-06

In 2020, the Agudat Israel Organisation and the Jewish Religious Community in Łódź came up with an idea to commemorate the once-venerated grave of Israel Joshua Trunk by rebuilding the ohel that had been erected over it. The deceased was one of the most famous rabbis of his time and a commonly known wise man honoured with the title of gaon. In order to implement this idea archaeological excavations began in the Jewish cemetery in Kutno with the aim to find the foundations of the building destroyed during the Second World War and to draw up documentation that would allow it to be rebuilt. The research goals were achieved and the lost ohel was uncovered along with its accompanying buildings, which most likely consisted of a 20th-century tomb of another person and the foundations of a large obelisk and tombstone.

Archaeological Research at the Jewish Cemetery on Okopowa Street in Warsaw

Szymon Lenarczyk — 2023-12-06

The paper presents preliminary results of the archaeological research conducted in quarter 1 at the Jewish Cemetery at 49/51 Okopowa Street in Wola in Warsaw in the years 2020-2021, which was carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the Rabbinical Commission for Jewish Cemeteries in Poland, as well as respect for tradition and halakhic law. The results of archaeological work contribute to a better understanding of the history of the entire Warsaw necropolis from the time of its foundation, with a particular emphasis on the late 19th and early 20th century, to the times of the battles fought at the necropolis during World War II.

Judaica as Portable Antiquities in England and Wales

Paul Barford — 2023-12-06

This article examines the use of the database of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) for England and Wales, which records archaeological finds made by the public (particularly metal detector users). The PAS database is generally considered a valuable resource for archaeological research, but its use as such is rarely critically examined. In this case study, artefacts related to the specific material culture of the historically-attested Jewish community in Britain are examined as a potential source of archaeological information about a specific historical social group. The article highlights several challenges in interpreting records deriving from information received from collectors and hobbyists as a substitute for data recovered by archaeological methods. Several false leads and misinterpretations have been identified, and the lack of contextual information for the artefacts is especially problematic. The PAS records are of limited utility as a standalone source of evidence, and cannot lead to meaningful conclusions about Jewish lives in Britain. The artefacts primarily serve as material illustrations of existing written records rather than independent sources of information.

‘Nulla sed vivit in memoria’. Archaeological Prospecting of the Relics of the Synagogue in Mikołów in Upper Silesia

Radosław Zdaniewicz — 2023-12-06

In Mikołów (Upper Silesia), a synagogue building was blown up and demolished in 1972 – a significant event that is preserved in the memory of the local population. In 2023, on the initiative of local authorities and cultural institutions, archaeological and architectural reconnaissance surveys were conducted to uncover, survey, and document any surviving relics of the synagogue. The research yielded new, previously unknown information regarding the building’s construction, including the discovery of the presumed floor of the synagogue’s vestibule. The preserved and uncovered remains of the foundations were secured after the research was completed and will undergo revitalisation and partial reconstruction in the future.

How Cooperation between Archaeologists and Art Conservators helps us discover more Information: Archaeological Investigations at the Jewish Cemetery on Okopowa Street in Warsaw

Magdalena Sugalska — 2023-12-06

The article concerns archaeological research in plot 1 at the Jewish cemetery at 49/51 Okopowa Street in Warsaw (Wola necropolis). Thanks to simultaneous archaeological works and tombstone conservation, it is possible to examine the underground parts of the matzevot. Archaeologists present at the removal of matzevot for conservation have the opportunity to document the profiles of burial pits created during the demolition of tombstones. The information obtained in this way is very valuable in reconstructing the ways in which tombstones were made and decorated. Traces of polychromies are often preserved in the lower part of the matzevot covered with soil. Such observations are not possible during archaeological research, which is carried out at shallow depths, as recommended by the Rabbinical Commission for Jewish Cemeteries in Poland.

A Task and a Challenge for Several Generations of Researchers. Some Remarks on “The Legal and Research Challenges of Jewish Archaeology” by Dariusz Rozmus (“Prawne i badawcze wyzwania archeologii żydowskiej”. Oficyna Wydawnicza Humanitas. Sosnowiec 2022)

Aleksandra Namysło — 2023-12-06