Highway construction in Poland had to temporarily give way to archaeologists when two ancient settlements with a series of unique artifacts appeared.
In a press release published by Poland’s National Directorate of Roads and Highways (GDDKiA), the ancient settlement was discovered near the village of Jawiszowice in Oświęcim district.
Excavation site of a settlement dating back around 4,000 years in Poland – (Photo: GDDKiA).
According to Heritage Daily, the first settlement is related to the Lusatian culture , people of the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age, who lived in Poland and parts of Czechia, Slovakia, Germany and Ukraine around 50 years ago. 1100 to 400 BC.
Fragments of clay pots and flints found here have helped determine the date and culture to which the settlement belonged.
Just a few hundred meters away is a more ancient settlement associated with the Mierzanowice culture , an Early Bronze Age people who inhabited parts of Slovakia and Poland from 2300 to 1800 BC.
At this 4,000-year-old settlement, archaeologists found traces of permanent structures, storage pits, a ditch and 34 flint artifacts.
Among them is a unique treasure, an intricate arrowhead made from Jurassic flint.
According to GDDKiA, due to archaeological findings, the contractor was forced to temporarily stop work on this part of the S1 Highway construction site , which will pass right through the location of the two residential areas mentioned above.
The Polish government decided to postpone the expected completion date of this highway by 223 days, from July 2024 to May 2025, to prioritize archaeological work.
