Provenance studies on Late Neolithic amber ornaments from North-East Poland

Dariusz Manasterski; Ewa Wagner-Wysiecka; Katarzyna Kwiatkowska; Aleksandra Cetwińska

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2022.103540

Provenance studies on Late Neolithic amber ornaments from North-East Poland

Abstract

The area of North-East Poland was in prehistory, and still is today, an area with easy access to amber as a raw material, as is evidenced in part by numerous Late Neolithic (3rd millennium) amber workshops located in the Gulf of Gdańsk and Żuławy Wiślane (Vistula Fens). Given this fact, it is surprising that only a few finished amber products have been recovered from this area. Among them are unique ornaments from the Late Neolithic sites Ząbie 10, Supraśl 3, and Supraśl 6. The preliminary analysis showed that these amber artifacts differ from the products manufactured by local groups located in the territory of modern Poland. The selected artifacts were subjected to in-depth stylistic and technological analysis to identify their provenance, taking also into consideration the type of raw material used in their production by means of FTIR analysis. Stylistic analysis showed that several specimens have analogies amongst the amber beads known from the Bell Beaker phenomenon. However, most of the beads under study are unique, and there are no analogies among any Neolithic ornaments in Europe. In addition, it was found that the specimens from Ząbie 10, Supraśl 3, and Supraśl 6 had perforations drilled with a metal tool, not a flint drill bit, which was previously unheard of in this part of Europe. The FTIR analysis revealed the use of local amber, including its different varieties i.e., succinite, gedano-succinite and gedanite. It also revealed its varying state of preservation. This may be useful for exploring the environmental context in which these artifacts were deposited.

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Authors (4)

Dariusz Manasterski dr hab.
- Faculty of Archaeology University of Warsaw, Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, 00-927 Warszawa, Poland
Ewa Wagner-Wysiecka dr hab. inż.
Katarzyna Kwiatkowska
- Polish Academy of Sciences Museum of the Earth in Warsaw, Aleja Na Skarpie 20/26 i 27, 00-488 Warszawa, Poland
Aleksandra Cetwińska
- Antiquity of Southeastern Europe Research Centre University of Warsaw, Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, 00-927 Warszawa, Poland

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Category:

Articles

Type:

artykuły w czasopismach

Published in:

Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports no. 44,
ISSN: 2352-409X

Language:

English

Publication year:

2022

Bibliographic description:

Manasterski D., Wagner-Wysiecka E., Kwiatkowska K., Cetwińska A.: Provenance studies on Late Neolithic amber ornaments from North-East Poland// Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports -Vol. 44, (2022), s.103540-

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