Bronze Age Jewelry Unearthed in Poland Sheds Light on Ancient Rituals

Discovery of over 550 pieces at Papowo Biskupie site reveals Chełmno group's shift in burial practices, aligning with broader Lusatian culture.

Archaeologists have discovered over 550 pieces of Bronze Age jewelry at a dried-out lake bed in Poland, known as Papowo Biskupie, which were part of an ancient burial ritual.
The jewelry was made by the Chełmno group, a community from the larger Lusatian culture that lived in northern Europe from roughly 1200 to 450 B.C.
The Lusatians are known for their ritual depositions of metal hoards in bodies of water, a practice not previously associated with the Chełmno group.
The discovery of the jewelry cache, which includes a variety of arm and neck ornaments, has led researchers to change their viewpoint on the Chełmno group's social and ritual strategies.
Radiocarbon dating revealed that human remains found at the site were buried before the metal deposition, suggesting a shift in the Chełmno group's belief system to align with the rest of the region.