Books&Papers by Marcin Przybyła
Bronze Age Fortresses in Europe. Proceedings of the Second International LOEWE Conference, 9-13 October 2017 in Alba Iulia, 2019
Among many prehistoric hillforts of the Western Carpathians the one located at Maszkowice village... more Among many prehistoric hillforts of the Western Carpathians the one located at Maszkowice village displays unique traits. The site was excavated in 1960s and 1970s, but it was not until 2015 that the new
field project revealed remains of massive stone fortifi cations. Th e wall of the Zyndram’s Hill is dated to the Early Bronze Age (18th century BC), being one of the earliest examples of defensive stone architecture in Europe outside Mediterranean. In our paper we shall discuss the development of the defensive system with its geographical and settlement context. Considering the results of fieldwork and other applied methods we can assume, that the enclosed settlement in Maszkowice functioned as an isolated point located in scarcely populated area. Therefore, we need to stress the landscape and geological circumstances which played a
significant role in inner layout organization, social perception and the development of settlement and its fortifications. Th e stone wall was erected already at the beginning of the site’s occupation. Th e defensive
system existed then in its most elaborated form (with at least two gates leading into the village), while later during several dozen years the fortifications slowly but constantly deteriorated. Finally, in conclusion we
shall consider the stone wall of Zyndram’s Hill not as a product of local adaptation, but as a result of a prepared execution of a project.
Fortifcations: Rise and Fall of Defended Sites In Late Bronze and Early Iron Age Of South-East Europe, 2017
Settlement, Communication and Exchange around the Eastern Carpathians in European Context, 2014
The complex and intriguing character of archaeological record identified in Maszkowice has been r... more The complex and intriguing character of archaeological record identified in Maszkowice has been recently explored by the project run in the Archaeology Department of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. The special emphasis has been put on the earliest phases of the settlement, dating to the Early and Middle Bronze Age. Both building structures and ceramic materials coming from those times represent foreign connections. The Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age bring significant changes into the character of Masz-kowice hillfort. Microregional studies indicate the emergence of new settlements in the area, which must have imposed certain changes on the local economic and social relations, and the role Maszkowice settlement played in this network might have been dominant.
Fischl/Kienlin (eds.) ∙ Beyond Divides – The Otomani-Füzesabony Phenomenon, 2019
Among the many prehistoric hillforts of the Western Carpathians the one located at Maszkowice vil... more Among the many prehistoric hillforts of the Western Carpathians the one located at Maszkowice village displays unique traits. The site occupied hilltop plateau of a small promontory (c. 0.5 ha), called Zyndram’s Hill and dominating over the Dunajec valley. Large scale excavations in 1960s and 1970s recognized numerous traces of the Late Bronze and Iron Age households, but it was not until 2010 that the new field project revealed well preserved remains of the Otomani-Füzesabony culture settlement, including massive stone fortifications of its first building phase. The wall of the Zyndram’s Hill is dated to 18th century BC being one of the earliest examples of defensive stone architecture in Europe outside Mediterranean. The history of the Early/Middle Bronze Age occupation can be divided into three building phases. During the second and third one the stone construction served as a retaining wall. Remains of a few houses of this time survived and were subject of investigations in 2010–2017.
Gesta 17/2, 2018
The aim of our paper is a short presentation of main features of the fortified settlement located... more The aim of our paper is a short presentation of main features of the fortified settlement located at the very edge of the OFCC area, in Maszkowice village (southern Poland). We shall focus consecutively on geographical and settlement context, range of the site, current state of research, methodology of excavations and material analysis, chronological framework of the site and finally detailed description of the OFCC settlement and its subsequent building phases.
Sprawozdania Archeologiczne 70, 2018
Excavations at the Early Bronze Age fortified settlement in Maszkowice (Western Carpathians) carr... more Excavations at the Early Bronze Age fortified settlement in Maszkowice (Western Carpathians) carried out in 1959-1975 and 2010-2017 produced, among other finds, a collection of 56 artifacts made of bone, antler, teeth and horn. They were classified using formal criteria (size, shape, decoration), as well as character of use-wear
traces into four types of ornaments (plaque, pendants, pins, dress items made of long bones) and seven types of
tools (awls, perforators, spatulas, tanning tool, polishers, antler picks and hafted chopping tools). In the description of each type, we focus on its functional interpretation, discussing some opinions already existing in the literature. In the final section of the paper, we also analyze the frequency of each type in different contexts, as well as on the site in general.
The paper discusses the development of pottery traditions in the Carpathian Basin around 1600 BC.... more The paper discusses the development of pottery traditions in the Carpathian Basin around 1600 BC. Set of data describing decoration of vessels originating from 94 archaeological sites is analysed using tools developed by so called network science. Results of this investigation are confronted with the current discussion concerning the cultural change at the transition of Middle and Late Bronze Age. In the last part of the paper I try to draw more general conclusions as regard the nature of social networks in prehistory.
European archaeology of the last decades tends to focus on the subject of distant contacts – the ... more European archaeology of the last decades tends to focus on the subject of distant contacts – the exchange of goods and ideas – and the influence they have on local populations and their development. One of the problems particularly often discussed in this context is the reception of cultural patterns of the Mediterranean by societies of the Central
European Early Bronze Age. Archaeological sites outstanding from local cultural background deserve special attention when studying this issue. The example of such a location is the hillfort in Maszkowice (Western Carpathians). The site was subject to archaeological excavations already in the middle of the 20th century. Studies carried out there again
from 2010 resulted in setting the chronology of the oldest settlement remains for 1750-1500 BC, as well as proving the relations of its first inhabitants with the eastern part of the Carpathian Basin. An absolutely spectacular result of these works was achieved in 2015, when relics of massive stone fortifications dating from around 1750 BC, were discovered. It is one of the few oldest examples of advanced stone architecture in Europe, excluding the Mediterranean, and at the
same time the oldest construction of this kind in the areas north to the Carpathians. The wall is about 2 m wide and consists of an inner part built of smaller stones, and the massive outer face. During the excavations in 2015 the eastern entrance into the fortified area was revealed, too – a ramp cutting across the stone wall and adjacent clay terrace and flanked by large sandstone slabs. As regards the type of masonry and architectonical solutions, the construction discovered
from Maszkowice finds the closest, contemporary analogies in some sites from the Alps and the Caput Adriae region.
HEARTLANDS Studies on the prehistory and history of Transsylvania in European contexts, dedicated... more HEARTLANDS Studies on the prehistory and history of Transsylvania in European contexts, dedicated to Horia Ciugudean on his 60 th birthday NUCLEUL CARPATIC Studii privind preistoria şi istoria Transilvaniei în context european, dedicate lui Horia Ciugudean la aniversarea a 60 de ani Edited by / Volum îngrijit de:
Der aktuelle Forschungsstand deutet darauf hin, dass die Vielfältigkeit der Heiratsformen, die si... more Der aktuelle Forschungsstand deutet darauf hin, dass die Vielfältigkeit der Heiratsformen, die sich in vormodernen Gesellschaften beobachten lassen, das Ergebnis evolutionären Drucks sind. Dieser Ansicht zufolge können Polygamie und Monogamie als konkurrierende Strategien angesehen werden, die sich unter bestimmten Umständen ausbreiten. Der folgende Beitrag will dies auf der Grundlage archäologischer Daten überprüfen. Dazu werden aus zwölf Gräberfeldern der Kupfer-und Bronzezeit in Mitteleuropa detaillierte Informationen zum Geschlechterverhältnis und zu Unterschieden im Reichtum der Grabausstattung ausgewertet. Diese Ergebnisse werden dann mit den Vermögensunterschieden und der Subsistenzgrundlage der ausgewählten Populationen verglichen. Es scheint, dass diesen beiden Faktoren für die Erklärung der Vielfalt menschlicher Heiratssysteme eine Schlüsselrolle zukommt.
The longhouses of Bandkeramik. Do we know all about them? ________________________ 95 The TRB cul... more The longhouses of Bandkeramik. Do we know all about them? ________________________ 95 The TRB culture settlement in the middle Tążyna Valley: a case study __________________ 105 Die neolithische Besiedlungsgeschichte im Raum Flintbek und die Bedeutung der Wagenspuren vor dem Hintergrund neuer Datierungen ___________________________ 121 Investigations in 2012 of the southern part of the Funnel Beaker culture temenos at Słonowice near the Małoszówka river. Fourth report ______________________________ 139 Settlement of the Globular Amphora Culture at Site 6 in Lekarzewice near Osłonki in Kuyavia (Poland) _____________________________________________________________ 163 The lost settlements -one from the visible problems in the research on the Final Neolithic in southern Poland ______________________________________________________________ 173 Stable settlements of the Trzciniec Cultural Circle in the Polish uplands and lowlands ____ 185 Pueblo culture settlement structure in the central Mesa Verde Region, Utah-Colorado in the Thirteenth Century A.D. ___________________________________________________ 193 Man and mountains. Settlement and economy of Neolithic communities in the Eastern part of the Polish Carpathians ____________________________________________________ 225 Settlement and economy of the TRB in Lesser Poland: transformation or continuity? _____ 245 Open-Range Cattle Grazing and the Spread of Farming In Neolithic Central Europe _____ 261 The flint raw materials economy in Lesser Poland during the Eneolithic Period: the Lublin-Volhynian culture and the Funnel Beaker culture __________________________ 275 The importance of leguminous plants in the diet of Neolithic and Early Bronze Age inhabitants of Little Poland ______________________________________________________ 295 Mechanics of the semi-nomadic economy __________________________________________ 303 On the Holocene vegetation history of Brandenburg and Berlin _______________________ 311
Defensive settlement at Maszkowice is one of the best preserved long-lasting prehistorical sites ... more Defensive settlement at Maszkowice is one of the best preserved long-lasting prehistorical sites in the Western Carpathians. What appears to be particularly interesting is the first settlement phase of the hillfort, which may be dated to the end of the Early Bronze Age and to the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 1650 -1200 BC). The results of studies on materials collected during the field research of Maria Cabalska (seasons 1959 -1975), as well as new excavation campaigns (2010 -2012), allow us to formulate some conclusions concerning: settlement stratigraphy, spatial distribution of Early and Middle Bronze Age materials, chronology of the subsequent building phases and cultural connections of the populations living in the upper Dunajec Valley during the earlier periods of the Bronze Age. In the context of the last mentioned question what is particularly worth attention are the relics of fortifications in a form of a dry stone wall, discovered in 2011 -2012 and connected with the oldest building phase of the hillfort (ca. 1650 -1500 BC). The fortified settlement from the Early and Middle Bronze Age at Maszkowice, Nowy Sącz district (Western Carpathians).
A Bronze-Age Settlement at Liptovský Trnovec. Chronology of finds from Liptovský Trnovec correspo... more A Bronze-Age Settlement at Liptovský Trnovec. Chronology of finds from Liptovský Trnovec corresponds to the oldest period of burying at the necropolis in Martin, which is synchronous with the BB2 (C1) phase. This dating was proved by a find of bronze bracelet from the Object 1 at Liptovský Trnovec, with its shape and production manner typical of older phases of the Tumulus culture spread out on the territories of the Palatinate, Swabian Alps and Bohemia. Longer duration of the Tumulus-Post-Otomani tradition within the area under study is documented also by simultaneous occurrence (in the Object 55) of an amphora made in this style and decorated with lines of incisions and thin-walled vessels representing by its style the tradition of the Lusatian culture early phase. They are beakers decorated with big shallow imprints. A vase found in the Object 42 and some profiled bowls can be ascribed to the same style as we,ll. The early Lusatian pottery in the upper Váh basin is dated to the BD-HA1 phase. Finds from the Spiš region prove the style was spreading eastward with the inci pient HA stage. The last stylistic tradition, which can be identified on pottery finds from Liptovský Trnovec, is that applied on a vessel from the Object 68. Technological qualities (black outside surface and red insides) and way of decoration classify this vessel into the stylistic group that occurred in cultures with cannelured pottery in the Carpathian basin (e. g. the Gáva and Kyjatice cultures). This vessel has been dated into the HA stage or a bit later. The settlement at the Ravence position in Liptovský Trnovec was probably continuously settled during a longer time interval (the 16 th -11 th centuries BC). During this period the style of pottery decoration on the settlement was gradually changing.
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Books&Papers by Marcin Przybyła
field project revealed remains of massive stone fortifi cations. Th e wall of the Zyndram’s Hill is dated to the Early Bronze Age (18th century BC), being one of the earliest examples of defensive stone architecture in Europe outside Mediterranean. In our paper we shall discuss the development of the defensive system with its geographical and settlement context. Considering the results of fieldwork and other applied methods we can assume, that the enclosed settlement in Maszkowice functioned as an isolated point located in scarcely populated area. Therefore, we need to stress the landscape and geological circumstances which played a
significant role in inner layout organization, social perception and the development of settlement and its fortifications. Th e stone wall was erected already at the beginning of the site’s occupation. Th e defensive
system existed then in its most elaborated form (with at least two gates leading into the village), while later during several dozen years the fortifications slowly but constantly deteriorated. Finally, in conclusion we
shall consider the stone wall of Zyndram’s Hill not as a product of local adaptation, but as a result of a prepared execution of a project.
traces into four types of ornaments (plaque, pendants, pins, dress items made of long bones) and seven types of
tools (awls, perforators, spatulas, tanning tool, polishers, antler picks and hafted chopping tools). In the description of each type, we focus on its functional interpretation, discussing some opinions already existing in the literature. In the final section of the paper, we also analyze the frequency of each type in different contexts, as well as on the site in general.
European Early Bronze Age. Archaeological sites outstanding from local cultural background deserve special attention when studying this issue. The example of such a location is the hillfort in Maszkowice (Western Carpathians). The site was subject to archaeological excavations already in the middle of the 20th century. Studies carried out there again
from 2010 resulted in setting the chronology of the oldest settlement remains for 1750-1500 BC, as well as proving the relations of its first inhabitants with the eastern part of the Carpathian Basin. An absolutely spectacular result of these works was achieved in 2015, when relics of massive stone fortifications dating from around 1750 BC, were discovered. It is one of the few oldest examples of advanced stone architecture in Europe, excluding the Mediterranean, and at the
same time the oldest construction of this kind in the areas north to the Carpathians. The wall is about 2 m wide and consists of an inner part built of smaller stones, and the massive outer face. During the excavations in 2015 the eastern entrance into the fortified area was revealed, too – a ramp cutting across the stone wall and adjacent clay terrace and flanked by large sandstone slabs. As regards the type of masonry and architectonical solutions, the construction discovered
from Maszkowice finds the closest, contemporary analogies in some sites from the Alps and the Caput Adriae region.
field project revealed remains of massive stone fortifi cations. Th e wall of the Zyndram’s Hill is dated to the Early Bronze Age (18th century BC), being one of the earliest examples of defensive stone architecture in Europe outside Mediterranean. In our paper we shall discuss the development of the defensive system with its geographical and settlement context. Considering the results of fieldwork and other applied methods we can assume, that the enclosed settlement in Maszkowice functioned as an isolated point located in scarcely populated area. Therefore, we need to stress the landscape and geological circumstances which played a
significant role in inner layout organization, social perception and the development of settlement and its fortifications. Th e stone wall was erected already at the beginning of the site’s occupation. Th e defensive
system existed then in its most elaborated form (with at least two gates leading into the village), while later during several dozen years the fortifications slowly but constantly deteriorated. Finally, in conclusion we
shall consider the stone wall of Zyndram’s Hill not as a product of local adaptation, but as a result of a prepared execution of a project.
traces into four types of ornaments (plaque, pendants, pins, dress items made of long bones) and seven types of
tools (awls, perforators, spatulas, tanning tool, polishers, antler picks and hafted chopping tools). In the description of each type, we focus on its functional interpretation, discussing some opinions already existing in the literature. In the final section of the paper, we also analyze the frequency of each type in different contexts, as well as on the site in general.
European Early Bronze Age. Archaeological sites outstanding from local cultural background deserve special attention when studying this issue. The example of such a location is the hillfort in Maszkowice (Western Carpathians). The site was subject to archaeological excavations already in the middle of the 20th century. Studies carried out there again
from 2010 resulted in setting the chronology of the oldest settlement remains for 1750-1500 BC, as well as proving the relations of its first inhabitants with the eastern part of the Carpathian Basin. An absolutely spectacular result of these works was achieved in 2015, when relics of massive stone fortifications dating from around 1750 BC, were discovered. It is one of the few oldest examples of advanced stone architecture in Europe, excluding the Mediterranean, and at the
same time the oldest construction of this kind in the areas north to the Carpathians. The wall is about 2 m wide and consists of an inner part built of smaller stones, and the massive outer face. During the excavations in 2015 the eastern entrance into the fortified area was revealed, too – a ramp cutting across the stone wall and adjacent clay terrace and flanked by large sandstone slabs. As regards the type of masonry and architectonical solutions, the construction discovered
from Maszkowice finds the closest, contemporary analogies in some sites from the Alps and the Caput Adriae region.
main features of the fortified settlement located at
the very edge of the OFCC area, in Maszkowice
village (southern Poland). We shall focus
consecutively on geographical and settlement
context, range of the site, current state of research,
methodology of excavations and material analysis,
chronological framework of the site and finally
detailed description of the OFCC settlement and its
subsequent building phases.