Uwagi o znaleziskach przedmiotów wykonanych z krzemienia pasiastego ze wschodniej części polskich Karpat i na ich przedpolu. Próba analizy chronologiczno-kulturowej i interpretacji

Abstract

This paper discusses artefacts dated to the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age found on the area of eastern Polish Carpathians and their forelands. Artefacts made of banded flint came from 116 sites grouped into 6 blockas: the Funnel Beaker culture; with characteristics of the Globular Amphora culture/Funnel Beaker culture or the Globular Amphora culture/Corded Ware culture; materials of the Corded Ware culture; materials dated to the Neolithic without cultural affiliation; materials dated to the Early Bronze Age, most probably the Mierzanowice culture and materials dated to the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age without cultural affiliation.

This paper discusses artefacts dated to the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age found on the area of the eastern Polish Carpathians and their forelands. Most of them came from accidental discoveries but some of them were found as a result of systematic surveys and excavations. Rectangular axes build strongest group of artefacts. Artefacts made of banded flint came from 116 sites grouped into 6 blocks: A – belongs to the Funnel Beaker culture (material from 6 sites); B – with characteristics of the Globular Amphora culture/ Funnel Beaker culture or the Globular Amphora culture/ Corded Ware culture (56 sites); C – materials of the Corded Ware culture (11 sites); D – materials dated to the Neolithic without cultural affiliation (28 sites); E – materials dated to the Early Bronze Age, most probably the Mierzanowice culture (5 sites) and F – materials dated to the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age without cultural affiliation (9 sites). There is no doubt about cultural affiliation of artefacts from the categories A, C and D. With regard to polished, rectangular axes bearing features typical for the Globular Amphora, Funnel Beaker and Corded Ware culture (category B), the situation is different. There is no graves and settlement sites on the eastern Polish Carpathians, and graves and settlements are extremely rare on the forelands. This suggest that these areas were not settled by the Globular Amphora people. For these reasons cultural affiliation of these axes can be discussed on the several levels. The first one refers to the identification of axes makers. Features of the shape, preparation and polishing and raw material used suggest that these axes, or at least most of them could have been made by the Globular Amphora culture people. The second level of interpretation refers to the “last user” of these axes. In this respect, several possibilities can be suggested. First of all, there were people of the Funnel Beaker culture and/or Corded Ware culture. Numerous sites of the Funnel Beaker and Corded Ware cultures located on the eastern Polish Carpathians forelands, on the eastern Carpathian Foothills, and within the Jasło–Sanok Depression may indirectly suggests such the cultural affiliation of these axes. Secondly, it cannot be completely excluded that the “last users” of such axes may have been also the people of the Globular Amphora culture (items lost during penetration of these areas or movement of people, or some these axes came from destroyed graves of the Globular Amphora culture).