Archeologiczne Zeszyty Sprawozdawcze

Archeologiczne Zeszyty Sprawozdawcze 4/2025

Marzena J. Przybyła, Jacek Pikulski
Unikatowa fibula dwupłytowa zdobiona emalią z rejonu Jakuszowic. Późnoantyczne wzorce elitarne i ich recepcja w środowiskach barbarzyńskich Małopolski

The article is devoted to the analysis of a unique, enamel-decorated double plated fibula discovered in the area of the settlement in Jakuszowice (Kazimierz Wielka District, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship), a region of key importance for research into settlement and elite structures of western Lesser Poland in Late Antiquity. The artefact is distinguished by a high level of craftsmanship, the application of advanced jeweler techniques (enamel, precious metal alloy inlay, and square-section gold wire), as well as ornamentation that explicitly refers to Late Antique artistic models, which are rarely encountered within the barbarian environments of Central Europe. Particular attention is paid to the pelta-shaped motif with volutes and the running wave ornament, the presence of which indicates inspirations from the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. Based on stylistic, technological, and comparative analysis, the artefact was juxtaposed with rare analogies, primarily with the brooches from hoard II from Șaveeu Silvaniei and luxury jewelry from the eastern Black Sea basin. The brooch from the vicinity of Jakuszowice is dated to the late 4th or early 5th century AD. It is interpreted as a material expression of the reception of elite Late Antique models within barbarian environments and as evidence of long-distance cultural contacts and the functioning of local high-status social elites.

Paweł Gołyźniak, Jacek Pikulski
A bronze ring with Chi-Rho monogram, discovered at a site located in the vicinity of the well-known settlement at Site 2 in Jakuszowice, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship

The article presents a preliminary analysis and the first scholarly publication of a Roman bronze ring bearing a Chi-Rho framed by a serrated (tooth-pattern) border. The monogram consists of the superimposed Greek letters chi (Χ) and rho (Ρ), the first two letters of the word ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ (Christos), meaning ‘Christ’. The artefact was discovered during a non-invasive surface survey employing metal detectors at one of the selected sites located in the vicinity of the multi-cultural settlement at Site 2 in Jakuszowice, Kazimierza Wielka District, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. It represents the first find of its kind in Poland and may constitute the earliest artefact bearing Christian iconography discovered in the country to date. The ring was most likely imported from the Roman Empire into the Barbaricum and is significant for illustrating the rapid dissemination of Christian culture beyond the Empire’s borders.

Ireneusz Jakubczyk, Jacek Pikulski
Nowe znaleziska fragmentów brązowych, importowanych naczyń rzymskich odkryte w rejonie st. 2 w Jakuszowicach pow. Kazimierza Wielka woj. świętokrzyskie na tle kontaktów rzymsko-barbarzyńskich w dorzeczu górnej Nidzicy

The article presents new finds of fragments of imported Roman bronze vessels discovered between 2023 and 2025 during prospective surveys in the area of site 2 in Jakuszowice, located in the upper Nidzica River basin. The study aims to determine the nature, chronology, function, and significance of these imports within the context of local settlement structures and Roman-Barbaritarian contacts. The analysis focuses on two diagnostic elements: a triangular attachment (attache) of a conical bucket (type E 36) and a handle fragment of a hemispherical basin (type E 96–106). Their technological and formal features indicate an origin from provincial Roman workshops, most likely in Gaul or the Rhineland, with achronology primarily spanning the second half of the 2nd and the first half of the 3rd century AD. The finds derive from settlement ontexts, which distinguishes them from most known specimens that are typically discovered as grave goods. The co-occurrence of the vessel fragments with metal semi-products and traces of secondary processing suggests that these imports did not serve exclusively prestige functions, but were utilized and subsequently melted down and adapted to local needs. The research results confirm the significant role of the Jakuszowice microregion as an element of a developed settlement network and an important link in the distribution system of Roman goods in the Barbaricum. These discoveries point to the active participation of local communities of the Przeworsk culture in long-distance exchange networks, as well as to the complex nature of the reception of Roman imports, encompassing both their prestigious use and pragmatic raw-material reinterpretation.

Marek Trojan, Jacek Pikulski, Jacek Soida
Odkrycie metalowej figurki ptaszka na st. 2 w Zagórzycach gm. Kazimierza Wielka, woj. świętokrzyskie

The article presents the results of archaeological research conducted at sites 1 and 2 in Zagórzyce, located in the southeastern part of the Nida Basin (Niecka Nidziańska), within the settlement microregion associated with site 2 in Jakuszowice. Verification activities were carried out between 2021 and 2024 to assess the state of preservation of the antiquities context in light of information regarding prior metal detector surveys conducted in this area between 2009 and 2019. In the course of the research, a small assemblage of prehistoric and modern artefacts was recovered, indicating a significant depletion of the sites‘ source material. A detailed analysis was conducted on a small bronze bird (rooster) figurine measuring 3.2 × 3 cm, manufactured using the casting technique. The object is a solid-cast, schematically rendered piece, equipped with a bottom projection and an elongated, decorated dorsal element. Various functional and chronological interpretations of the object were considered. The hypothesis connecting it with Roman zoomorphic brooches of the Hahnenfibeln type was rejected. Probable interpretation appears to be its identification as a component of a tap-plug (barrel spigot), known from late medieval and early modern contexts in Central Europe. The lack of close analogies and the specific alloy composition (high lead content) may indicate a local variant of this category of artefacts. The tentatively proposed chronology spans the later phase of the Late Middle Ages and the beginning of the early modern period (14th to the first half of the 16th century), with the possibility of narrowing it down to around the mid-15th century. The obtained results confirm the high cognitive potential of the sites in Zagórzyce, while simultaneously highlighting the urgent need for their systematic protection against the progressive degradation of archaeological sites resulting, among others, from intensive agricultural cultivation.

Kyrylo Myzgin, Jacek Pikulski Avars After All! New Evidence on a Coin-Like Object from the Jakuszowice Microregion

This paper revises the earlier interpretation of an artefact discovered at an archaeological site located near site 2 in Jakuszowice. The object was initially identified as a barbarian imitation of a single-sided Roman medallion. However, the artefact—a small, gilded disc bearing a stylised imperial bust—exhibits features atypical of coinage, such as a pronounced rim, an ornamented background, and the absence of a reverse design. These characteristics raised doubts and interpretative difficulties from the outset. A breakthrough came with the identification of close parallels in the form of circular mounts decorating a belt set from a grave discovered at the site of Zemun Polje near Belgrade in Serbia and from the hillfort of Kosoř near Prague in Czechia, dated to the second half of the eighth century and associated with the Late Avar milieu. Technological and stylistic similarities make it possible to reinterpret the object as an element of a belt assemblage, although the specimen discovered near Jakuszowice is characterised by a greater degree of schematisation. The find contributes to the broader issue of the adaptation of imperial iconography in the Barbaricum and to the study of interregional contacts. Its presence in Poland underscores the significance of the Jakuszowice microregion, as well as the Nidzica River valley itself, as an important centre also in the Early Middle Ages

Przemysław Dulęba, Jacek Pikulski
Unikatowy wariant zapinki z ozdobną nóżką ze Skorczowa, pow. kazimierski, woj. świętokrzyskie

At site 5 in Skorczow (Kazimierza District, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship), an interesting and rather unusual variant of a fibula with a Late Hallstatt construction was discovered. The artifact was recovered during surface surveys conducted between 2023 and 2025 as part of the project “Archaeological Expedition Terra Incognita. Kazimierza Wielka District”. The site, previously known mainly for intensive settlement of the Przeworsk culture from the Roman Period and the Migration Period, had not earlier yielded reliable evidence of occupation in the Early Iron Age. The fibula is preserved almost intact and represents the group of brooches with a decorative foot (Fuszierfibeln), characteristic of the terminal phase of the Hallstatt Period. Morphological analysis allows it to be classified as the Łuszkowo type according to Z. Woźniak’s typology. The find exhibits stylistic links with late variants of this group, dated to the transition between the Ha D3 and LT A1 phases. Analogous artifacts are known from the areas of the Lusatian and Pomeranian cultures. The discovery of the fibula provides new data regarding the oldest phases of occupation in the Kazimierza microregion and confirms the existence of cultural contacts linking the communities inhabiting western Lesser Poland with the broader Hallstatt-La Tene circle of Central Europe. Despite the isolated nature of the find, it indicates the presence of settlement or episodic human activity in this area as early as the end of the Hallstatt Period. The artifact highlights the need for further research into Early Iron Age settlement in the southern part of the Nida Basin and the problem of cultural identification of communities functioning in this region during the transitional period between the Lusatian and Pomeranian cultures.

Jacek Pikulski, Krzysztof Bratko, Paweł Cyganiewicz Złota zawieszka z późnego okresu rzymskiego lub okresu wędrówek ludów odkryta na stanowisku archeologicznym zlokalizowanym w pobliżu osady na st. 2 w Jakuszowicach, pow. Kazimierza Wielka, woj. świętokrzyskie

The article discusses the discovery of a unique gold pendant found during Surface prospecting using metal detectors near the settlement at site 2 in Jakuszowice (Kazimierza Wielka district), a key micro-region for the Przeworsk culture. The artifact was discovered as part of the „Terra Incognita“ Archaeological Expedition project, aimed at recognizing the settlement structure of the area. The find is a small, openwork ring-shaped pendant made of high-gold alloy (over 91% Au) with a robust construction. Its central part is filled with a symmetrical ornament consisting of four radially arranged spiral motifs forming a pelta-shaped composition, a motif derived from ancient art. The outer rim is decorated with regular knurling, and the suspension loop (eyelet) is made of two strips of sheet metal soldered to the ring. The authors conducted an extensive comparative analysis, identifying analogies in both the Roman world and the Barbaricum. While the pelta motif was popular in Roman jewelry from the 3rd century AD (e.g., Aquincum, Umbria, or Nasobůrky), the closest structural analogies—specifically ring-shaped openwork pendants—are known from the Migration Period (5th–6th centuries AD). These include finds from Southern Scandinavia (Suchań, Fasted Toft, Kirkemosegard, Bornholm) and Southwestern Germany (Hufingen). A characteristic feature of the pendant discovered at the site near Jakuszowice is the use of four pelta motifs, while in Scandinavian pieces there are usually two or three. Despite being a surface find without a stratigraphic context, the accumulation of stylistic features and analogies allows the authors to place the pendant within the chronological horizon of the 5th–6th centuries AD. The discovery represents a significant contribution to the study of the „Jakuszowice“ micro-region and its role in supra-regional contact networks during the Migration Period.

Jakub Rąpał, Michał Lis, Jacek Wójcik
Ceramiczne kafle piecowe odkryte podczas badań dołu chłonnego na dziedzińcu zewnętrznym. Zamku Królewskiego na Wawelu

The article presents an analysis of an assemblage of ceramic stove tiles discovered in the fill of a soakaway pit located within the outer courtyard of the Wawel Royal Castle. The feature, which functioned from the mid-15th to the 17th century, represents an example of a closed archaeological context with a well-established stratigraphy. The tile assemblage enables the reconstruction of stove forms that functioned in the northern part of the Wawel complex from the Late Middle Ages to the early 17th century, including two-tier structures of traditional layout. Concurrently, the analysis of the depositional context indicates that these materials entered the fill of the soakaway pit primarily as a result of cleaning and leveling activities associated with transformations of the residential space, as evidenced by the highly fragmented nature of the material (EVE < 0.15).