Mierzyn, stan. 1, gm. Rozprza. Nowe materiały do poznania kultury pomorskiej w Polsce Centralnej

Abstract

The first mention of the cemetery in Mierzyn dates back to the mid-19th century. The archaeological site in question was destroyed by sand mining and obtaining stones from destroyed graves. Archaeological research at the site was carried out in the years 1972–1976 and as a result, a total area of 32 ares was surveyed, leading to the discovery of 123 graves. Some of the features had been destroyed by the road construction, sand mine, and robbery activity, which allows us to assume that originally the cemetery may have contained about 150 burials. Among them were graves in the form of stone cists as well as urns only encircled with stones, and simple urn graves. Pottery was mainly discovered in the graves. Only a few metal artefacts were documented – a pin with a shield-shaped head and a pin with a swan’s neck and bronze pendants. Two bone plates decorated with engraved circles were recovered from the site. The chronology of the cemetery points mainly to the older pre-Roman Iron Age. The cemetery stands out in terms of its size compared to other necropolises of the Pomeranian culture and with high probability has been studied in its entirety. This provides opportunities for in-depth research into the spatial structure of the burial site, the variability of graves and urn forms, and osteological studies, which will allow us to supplement the state of research on the burial rituals of the Pomeranian culture’s population – this is the largest “Pomeranian” cemetery known from central Poland.