Iwona Sobkowiak-Tabaka
Biographic Data
| ID | 632015 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Iwona Sobkowiak-Tabaka |
| GIVEN NAMES | Iwona |
| FAMILY NAME | Sobkowiak-Tabaka |
| SIGNATURE | SOBKOWIAK-TABAKA I |
| AFFILIATIONS | Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5913-1177 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 47 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 88 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 46 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2013 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Life on the Riverbank
The Mesolithic of central Sudan represents a key phase in the long-term development of forager societies in the Middle Nile Valley, unfolding within the environmental framework of the African Humid Period. Khor Shambat 1, located on the west bank of the Nile in Omdurman, preserves a rare stratified sequence of Early, Middle, and Late Mesolithic occupation. Excavations documented settlement features, dense cultural deposits, and two burials. Integ…
Wstęp
This article offers an introduction to the 30th anniversary volume of Folia Praehistorica Posnaniensia, a peer-reviewed journal with a longstanding presence in the archaeological community. For decades, Folia has been an important forum for exchanging scientific ideas in archaeology. The journal presents research on the prehistory and early Middle Ages of Central Europe, Mediterranean archaeology, and, in recent years, interdisciplinary areas and…
Zooming in and out the outcomes of geophysical research at the Western Tripolye culture site Kamenets-Podolskiy (Tatarysky)
This paper reports the results of magnetic surveys contextualized with the landscape via water drainage analysis, and summarizes the results of excavations at the Cucuteni-Tripolye settlement Kamenets-Podolskiy (Tatarysky), 3950–3900 BCE. Incorporation of topographic information and water drainage analysis to the studies of settlement structures revealed by magnetometry makes it possible to understand how such features function and, therefore, th…
Leaf impression of burdock on Neolithic pottery from Zagaje Smrokowskie (Miechów Upland, Poland)
This study examines Neolithic pottery from Zagaje Smrokowskie, site 10, which features a burdock leaf imprint on one of the vessel bottoms. Burdock has been present in human settlements across vast areas of Eurasia, as evidenced by numerous findings of its macroremians. However, this is the first finding of a burdock leaf imprint on Neolithic pottery in Poland. The identification of leaf imprints on pottery enhances our understanding of pottery p…
Jewellery and Garments for the Afterlife
The excavation of Site 33 in Leźno, Kartuzy County, uncovered an extraordinary Wielbark culture cemetery, dated back to the C2–C3 phases of the Roman Period (ca. 260/270–360/370 AD). The most notable finding was grave No. 179, which stood out not only due to its impressive dimensions but also due to the quality and quantity of objects in the grave, including two highly ornamented and elaborate fibulae and a necklace made of amber and glass beads.…
Interdisciplinary Insights Into Ochre Burial Rituals in Eastern Slovakia in the Beginning of the 3rd Millennium bc
This study investigates ochre from a Yamna culture grave in Michaľany, Eastern Slovakia. Radiocarbon dating resulted in 4330 ± 35 BP, calibrated to 3010–2898 bc . The grave's construction and dating confirm its cultural attribution. SEM and Raman spectrometry identified a red substance as hematite, representing the first evidence of its use in Yamna funerary practices in this region. Geochemical analysis suggests a local origin, likely linked to …
Long-Distance Obsidian Conveyance During the Neolithic
In this article, the authors contend that three blades, archaeometrically identified as made of obsidian from the Nemrut Dağ source in eastern Anatolia, were recovered from bona fide archaeological contexts at two sites in Poland. This is supported by somewhat contentious contextual evidence, which is thoroughly reviewed. If the findspots are accepted as genuine, these artefacts would mark the furthest western distribution of Nemrut Dağ obsidian,…
Testing scale-dependent temporal and spatial biases in relative chronology using AMS 14C dating
Aiming at developing a syncretic chronology for Eneolithic sites in Romania, Moldova and Ukraine, this paper tests the hypothesis that relative material culture sequences will be preserved within lower-order taxonomic units and collapse within higher-order units. We examine relative sequences for sub-groups of the Cucuteni-Tripolye cultural complex (ca. 5050–2950 BCE) using Bayesian sequencing of extant and newly obtained radiocarbon dates. The t…
Uncovering the tradition of shell ornaments in Neolithic Poland
Tracing the Past
This paper presents a thorough analysis of ornaments discovered in two Neolithic burials at Samborzec Site 1, providing valuable insights into their origins and significance. The artefacts, retrieved over six decades ago in the burials of a woman and child, have undergone extensive examination, including raw material identification, microwear studies, and the analysis of red residues found on their surfaces. While most of the ornaments concerned …
Funnel Beaker Culture settlement in Jasienica Sufczyńska Site 5 as an example of the eneolithic colonisation of the Przemyśl Foothills (Western Carpathians, SE Poland)
Until now, the question of the Eneolithic settlement of the Funnel Beaker Culture in the 4th millennium BC in the area of the Przemyśl Foothills (Western Carpathians, SE Poland) has not been studied in detail. This was due to the relatively limited state of the sources, which were mainly collected during field surveys. These investigations resulted in the discovery of a relevant settlement in Jasienica Sufczyńska Site 5. The various artefacts col…
From Macro to Micro
Risks beyond the ditch
The evolution of Neolithic to Bronze Age settlement organization in Central Europe has revealed ditches as an important component of settlement structures. The various shapes and sizes of these features contribute to different understandings of their functions, mainly referring to ditches as elements of fortifications or ritual practices. Based on a newly discovered Copper Age feature at Kamianets-Podilskyi (Tatarysky), Ukraine, our paper contrib…
Sound from the past. A Neolithic clay whistle from Kiełczewo (western Poland)
Dr hab. Zofia Antonina Sulgostowska, prof. IAE PAN (13.06.1944–12.02.2023)
Prezentowany zbiór tekstów poświęcony jest pamięci niedawno zmarłej Profesor Zofii Sulgostowskiej, wybitnej specjalistki w zakresie prahistorii starszej i środkowej epoki kamienia. Składają się nań wspomnienia uczniów, współpracowników i przyjaciół Pani Profesor, związanych głównie z dwiema naukowymi instytucjami archeologicznymi (w których Pani Profesor była zatrudniona): Państwowym Muzeum Archeologicznym (dr Wojciech Borkowski, mgr Elżbieta Cie…
Shell-tempered ceramics
Convergent Evolution of Prehistoric Technologies
Linking the likelihood of convergent evolution to the technologies’ complexity, this paper identifies the scales of technological diffusion and convergence, i.e. , the evolving of structures that are similar, but not related to a common “ancestor.” Our study provides quantitative measures for understanding complexity and connectivity in technologies. The utility of our approach is exemplified through the case study of Cucuteni-Tripolye pottery ki…
Kamenets-Podolskiy (Tatarysky) in the Middle Tripolye flint networks of Forest-Steppe Ukraine
The paper presents results of technological, typological, raw material and use-wear analyses of stone assemblage from the Kamenets-Podolskiy (Tatarysky) site, dated to 3950-3900 BC (the late Tripolye BII). The assemblage is presented against a broad comparative background of sites from Forest-Steppe Ukraine. Flint processing focused on blades production, intended subsequently for the making of tools, produced of good quality of raw material (main…
Approaching Late Paleolithic Seasonal Mobility on the North European Plain
Integrated environmental records in Late Pleistocene Poland
Self-Organized Cultural Cycles and the Uncertainty of Archaeological Thought
Contributing to the issue of complex relationship between social and cultural evolution, this paper aims to analyze repetitive patterns, or cycles, in the development of material culture. Our analysis focuses on culture change associated with sociopolitical and economic stasis. The proposed toy model describes the cyclical character of the quantitative and qualitative composition of archaeological assemblages, which include hierarchically organiz…
Quantifying Stone Age Mobility
Dark matter” of hunter‐gatherers archaeology
The extra‐site activities of hunter‐gatherers and artifact curation between functionally different camps raise the issue of items a site lacks. This issue is usually addressed using the fractal properties of raw material. The model presented in this paper simultaneously considers the qualitative and quantitative (exponential) properties of missing artifacts. Our model was tested on Federmesser and Swiderian materials from the site of Lubrza 10, W…
The Western Trypillia Culture House From the Settlement of Kamianets-Podilskyi, Tatarysky, 3950—3900 Bce
This paper aims to introduce the results of excavations of the house remains at the Western Trypillia culture settlement of Kamianets-Podilskyi, Tatarysky in 2019. Ploshchadka 1 belongs to a cluster composed of four houses, which is located in the outer construction ring of the settlement. Ploshchadka had a nearly rectangular shape. This feature reaching a size of c. 11.6 Ч 4 m was oriented along the west-east axis with a small northwest — southe…
Mikroprzeszłość. Badania specjalistyczne w archeologii
The shining piece of the puzzle
Remains of a late Neolithic barrow at Kruszyn. A glimpse of ritual and everyday life in early Corded Ware societies of the Polish Lowland
Das Grab aus Kruszyn, 2009 in Kujawien entdeckt, rechnet zu einer kleinen Regionalgruppe der Schnurkeramik. Es zeichnet sich durch einen verhältnismäßig guten Erhaltungszustand und untypisch zahlreiche, aus Knochen und Geweih gefertigte Werkzeugbeigaben aus. Die aufgedeckten sterblichen Überreste wurden anthropologisch und isotopisch analysiert ( La tombe de Kruszyn, découverte en 2009 dans la région de Cujavie, fait partie d’un petit groupe régi…
Reconstruction of the Late Glacial and Early Holocene landscape and human presence in Lubrza, Western Poland, on the basis of multidisciplinary analyses
This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary study that combines archaeological and palaeoenvironmental research to examine the relationship between environment and human activities in Western Poland during the Late Glacial and Early Holocene. The study area lying within the young moraine landscape produced several Late Palaeolithic and Early Mesolithic sites, varied in terms of size and function. Analyses of pollen, plant macro-remains…
Holocene resource exploitation along the Nile
The subsistence practices of Holocene communities living in the Nile Valley of Central Sudan are comparatively little known. Recent excavations at Khor Shambat, Sudan, have yielded well-defined Mesolithic and Neolithic stratigraphy. Here, for the first time, archaeozoological, palaeobotanical, phytolith and dental calculus studies are combined with lipid residue analysis of around 100 pottery fragments and comparative analysis of faunal remains a…
Miocene shells in Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age burials in Poland
The present study provides an archaeological interpretation of shell assemblages from Neolithic and Early Bronze Age burials found in Poland based on the identification of fossil shell type and provenience. The taxonomic identification of shells directly points to their source of procurement, which facilitates the understanding of why only some societies used shell ornaments and why only certain species were selected for use in this way. Focusing…
Animal husbandry in the Early and Middle Neolithic settlement at Kopydłowo in the Polish lowlands. A multi-isotope perspective
The aim of this article is to examine the isotopic characterisation of domestic animals as it relates to birthing location and seasonality, diet, pasturing pattern, foddering and climatic conditions of herding and to determine variation between these aspects of cattle and caprine husbandry of the Neolithic Linearbandkultur (LBK) and Trichterbecherkultur (TRB) communities from Kopydłowo in Kujavia-one of the major centres of early farming in the E…
New evidences for core processing of non-flint, lithic materials in the Late Palaeolithic and Mesolithic of Poland
In the Late Palaeolithic and Mesolithic core processing in Poland was dominated by flint raw materials. The present paper considers the occurrence of non-flint assemblages at the sites Lubrza and Ludowice (Polish Lowland). The focus is on recognition of petrographic studies, technology, typology and use-wear of inventories from both sites. The collections contain debitage, cores and different kinds of tools. As a result the identification of gran…
Approaching daily life at Late Palaeolithic camps
The aim of this paper is to develop a systematic approach to understanding daily life at Late Palaeolithic camps and identifying its impact on broader site formation processes. Late Palaeolithic contexts are often poorly preserved, especially those found in the sandy sediments of the North European Plain. However, taphonomic obstacles may be overcome through the introduction of spatial statistics into research procedures. We illustrate our approa…
Fire and “Noise” in Late Paleolithic Camps
The acidic sandy environment of the Late Paleolithic sites on the North European Plain usually prevents preservation of not only organic debris such as burnt bones or charcoal but also heat-altered sediments or ash. Therefore, chemical analyses cannot be applied to identify traces of open fires. Instead, the detection of the location of hearths is approached through spatial statistics. This paper tests the utility of the methods which are most wi…
Self-Organized Cultural Cycles and the Uncertainty of Archaeological Thought
Contributing to the issue of complex relationship between social and cultural evolution, this paper aims to analyze repetitive patterns, or cycles, in the development of material culture. Our analysis focuses on culture change associated with sociopolitical and economic stasis. The proposed toy model describes the cyclical character of the quantitative and qualitative composition of archaeological assemblages, which include hierarchically organiz…
How to find a fireplace in a burnt forest? Approaching the structure of Late Palaeolithic camps
Micro-chronology of Palaeolithic open-air sites
Uncovering the tradition of shell ornaments in Neolithic Poland
Convergent Evolution of Prehistoric Technologies
Linking the likelihood of convergent evolution to the technologies’ complexity, this paper identifies the scales of technological diffusion and convergence, i.e. , the evolving of structures that are similar, but not related to a common “ancestor.” Our study provides quantitative measures for understanding complexity and connectivity in technologies. The utility of our approach is exemplified through the case study of Cucuteni-Tripolye pottery ki…
The persistent place at Lubrza
This paper summarises the results of multidisciplinary research, including pollen, plant macroremains, diatoms, Cladocera, molluscs and geochemistry from a 14 C dated core and geomorphological records, which reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental conditions faced by Late Palaeolithic hunter-gathers in western Poland. Particular attention was paid to evidence for both human activity and the degree to which Late Palaeolithic groups may have affected t…
Multi-proxy records of Mesolithic activity in the Lubuskie Lakeland (western Poland)
The results of high-resolution records of pollen, plant macroremains and charred plant particles, diatoms, Cladocera and geochemistry from a 14 C-dated core, and geomorphological studies enabled the reconstruction of landscape development at a site in western Poland which was occupied by Mesolithic hunter-gatherer groups. Special attention was paid to the evidence of human activities recorded in the sediments of the palaeolake located next to the…
Spondylus shells at prehistoric sites in Poland
This article presents the results of research concerning shell ornaments discovered in Poland and described in the literature as made of Spondylus shells. Our study focuses on the identification and revision of these artefacts in terms of species, ornament types, and locations of discovery. Additionally, we address the issue of the role of Spondylus shell ornaments and their meaning to the Neolithic communities inhabiting the area of present-day …
Rebirth in the afterlife
Burials in pots are one of the most intriguing and at the same time most widespread funeral practices in the prehistoric world. The oldest examples probably originate from the northern Levant where they occur in the Pottery Neolithic at the end of the seventh and in the early sixth millennia BC. The tradition was introduced into Egypt relatively late, most likely around 3500 BC, but appears a little earlier further south in central Sudan, where t…
Earliest evidence for cheese making in the sixth millennium bc in northern Europe
New evidences for core processing of non-flint, lithic materials in the Late Palaeolithic and Mesolithic of Poland
In the Late Palaeolithic and Mesolithic core processing in Poland was dominated by flint raw materials. The present paper considers the occurrence of non-flint assemblages at the sites Lubrza and Ludowice (Polish Lowland). The focus is on recognition of petrographic studies, technology, typology and use-wear of inventories from both sites. The collections contain debitage, cores and different kinds of tools. As a result the identification of gran…
Remains of a late Neolithic barrow at Kruszyn. A glimpse of ritual and everyday life in early Corded Ware societies of the Polish Lowland
Das Grab aus Kruszyn, 2009 in Kujawien entdeckt, rechnet zu einer kleinen Regionalgruppe der Schnurkeramik. Es zeichnet sich durch einen verhältnismäßig guten Erhaltungszustand und untypisch zahlreiche, aus Knochen und Geweih gefertigte Werkzeugbeigaben aus. Die aufgedeckten sterblichen Überreste wurden anthropologisch und isotopisch analysiert ( La tombe de Kruszyn, découverte en 2009 dans la région de Cujavie, fait partie d’un petit groupe régi…
Khor Shambat, Early Khartoum, Neolithic, cemetery, graves, settlement, pottery, lithic inventory, archaeozoology
The locality of Khor Shambat in the Omdurman district of Khartoum was investigated in 2012. The site lies between two gorges draining water to the Nile Valley from the west. Testing established the site stratigraphy, dating the cultural level to the early Neolithic. The source material from this cultural level included vessel-type ceramics, microlithic stone artifacts, macrolithic stone tools and faunal remains. A cemetery containing 13 graves wa…
Reconstruction of the Late Glacial and Early Holocene landscape and human presence in Lubrza, Western Poland, on the basis of multidisciplinary analyses
This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary study that combines archaeological and palaeoenvironmental research to examine the relationship between environment and human activities in Western Poland during the Late Glacial and Early Holocene. The study area lying within the young moraine landscape produced several Late Palaeolithic and Early Mesolithic sites, varied in terms of size and function. Analyses of pollen, plant macro-remains…
Animal husbandry in the Early and Middle Neolithic settlement at Kopydłowo in the Polish lowlands. A multi-isotope perspective
The aim of this article is to examine the isotopic characterisation of domestic animals as it relates to birthing location and seasonality, diet, pasturing pattern, foddering and climatic conditions of herding and to determine variation between these aspects of cattle and caprine husbandry of the Neolithic Linearbandkultur (LBK) and Trichterbecherkultur (TRB) communities from Kopydłowo in Kujavia-one of the major centres of early farming in the E…
Multi-proxy records of Mesolithic activity in the Lubuskie Lakeland (western Poland)
The results of high-resolution records of pollen, plant macroremains and charred plant particles, diatoms, Cladocera and geochemistry from a 14 C-dated core, and geomorphological studies enabled the reconstruction of landscape development at a site in western Poland which was occupied by Mesolithic hunter-gatherer groups. Special attention was paid to the evidence of human activities recorded in the sediments of the palaeolake located next to the…
Fire and “Noise” in Late Paleolithic Camps
The acidic sandy environment of the Late Paleolithic sites on the North European Plain usually prevents preservation of not only organic debris such as burnt bones or charcoal but also heat-altered sediments or ash. Therefore, chemical analyses cannot be applied to identify traces of open fires. Instead, the detection of the location of hearths is approached through spatial statistics. This paper tests the utility of the methods which are most wi…
The shining piece of the puzzle
International educational project “Nature and Society in Prehistoric Europe”
The history of prehistoric Europe is relatively short if compared to Africa
Pottery kilns from the Tripolye settlement of Kamenets-Podolskiy, Tatarysky, the 2019 excavation campaign (regarding the issue of evolution of Tripolye pottery kilns)
This paper presents two pottery kilns of an archaic construction, which were excavated at the Tripolye BII settlement of Kamenets-Podolskiy, Tatarysky in 2019. The site, dated to the beginning of 4th mil. BC, is referred to Mereshovskaya group of Western Tripolye culture. Analysis of construction details of our kilns compared to similar structures, which are known for other Tripolye sites and outside the Cucuteni-Tripolye cultural complex, made p…
Neolithic Inhabitants of Khor Shambat 1, Sudan
Ever since Arkell launched research excavation in Shaheinab, many Neolithic sites of varying scientific value have been discovered in Central Sudan. These discoveries included both sites and cemeteries that shed some light not only on the economy, but also on the social structure and beliefs of ancient populations. Sites such as Kadero, el‐Geili, el‐Ghaba, Shaqadud and el‐Kadada have become benchmarks for describing and understanding the Neolithi…
Approaching the Unification and Diversity of Pottery Assemblages
This paper questions the cycling nature of the unification and diversity of pottery forms through a case study of ceramics of the Western Tripolye culture in the Southern Bug and Dnieper interfluve in modern Ukraine. We identified the cultural cycle representing the transition from more unified ceramic assemblages to more diverse ones, and then back to more unified assemblages. This cultural cycle is disturbed by the increase in the diversity of …
Miocene shells in Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age burials in Poland
The present study provides an archaeological interpretation of shell assemblages from Neolithic and Early Bronze Age burials found in Poland based on the identification of fossil shell type and provenience. The taxonomic identification of shells directly points to their source of procurement, which facilitates the understanding of why only some societies used shell ornaments and why only certain species were selected for use in this way. Focusing…
Micro-chronology of Palaeolithic open-air sites
Spondylus shells at prehistoric sites in Poland
This article presents the results of research concerning shell ornaments discovered in Poland and described in the literature as made of Spondylus shells. Our study focuses on the identification and revision of these artefacts in terms of species, ornament types, and locations of discovery. Additionally, we address the issue of the role of Spondylus shell ornaments and their meaning to the Neolithic communities inhabiting the area of present-day …
Approaching daily life at Late Palaeolithic camps
The aim of this paper is to develop a systematic approach to understanding daily life at Late Palaeolithic camps and identifying its impact on broader site formation processes. Late Palaeolithic contexts are often poorly preserved, especially those found in the sandy sediments of the North European Plain. However, taphonomic obstacles may be overcome through the introduction of spatial statistics into research procedures. We illustrate our approa…
Rebirth in the afterlife
Burials in pots are one of the most intriguing and at the same time most widespread funeral practices in the prehistoric world. The oldest examples probably originate from the northern Levant where they occur in the Pottery Neolithic at the end of the seventh and in the early sixth millennia BC. The tradition was introduced into Egypt relatively late, most likely around 3500 BC, but appears a little earlier further south in central Sudan, where t…
The Western Trypillia Culture House From the Settlement of Kamianets-Podilskyi, Tatarysky, 3950—3900 Bce
This paper aims to introduce the results of excavations of the house remains at the Western Trypillia culture settlement of Kamianets-Podilskyi, Tatarysky in 2019. Ploshchadka 1 belongs to a cluster composed of four houses, which is located in the outer construction ring of the settlement. Ploshchadka had a nearly rectangular shape. This feature reaching a size of c. 11.6 Ч 4 m was oriented along the west-east axis with a small northwest — southe…
Mikroprzeszłość. Badania specjalistyczne w archeologii
Garbage, Storage or a Mussel Oven? a Case Study of a Shell Midden from Western Poland
Shell middens are common finds recorded at Polish archaeological sites dating from the Neolithic to Iron Age; however, very little is known about the acquisition and exploitation of mussels by prehistoric communities. An archaeological feature discovered recently at Kiekrz (western Poland) has provided us with a rare opportunity to conduct complex research on a representative and large sample. Our study aimed to recognise the function of the pit,…
The persistent place at Lubrza
This paper summarises the results of multidisciplinary research, including pollen, plant macroremains, diatoms, Cladocera, molluscs and geochemistry from a 14 C dated core and geomorphological records, which reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental conditions faced by Late Palaeolithic hunter-gathers in western Poland. Particular attention was paid to evidence for both human activity and the degree to which Late Palaeolithic groups may have affected t…
How to find a fireplace in a burnt forest? Approaching the structure of Late Palaeolithic camps
Holocene resource exploitation along the Nile
The subsistence practices of Holocene communities living in the Nile Valley of Central Sudan are comparatively little known. Recent excavations at Khor Shambat, Sudan, have yielded well-defined Mesolithic and Neolithic stratigraphy. Here, for the first time, archaeozoological, palaeobotanical, phytolith and dental calculus studies are combined with lipid residue analysis of around 100 pottery fragments and comparative analysis of faunal remains a…
Kamenets-Podolskiy (Tatarysky) in the Middle Tripolye flint networks of Forest-Steppe Ukraine
The paper presents results of technological, typological, raw material and use-wear analyses of stone assemblage from the Kamenets-Podolskiy (Tatarysky) site, dated to 3950-3900 BC (the late Tripolye BII). The assemblage is presented against a broad comparative background of sites from Forest-Steppe Ukraine. Flint processing focused on blades production, intended subsequently for the making of tools, produced of good quality of raw material (main…
Geography (37 works) · Archaeology (36 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (22 works) · Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies (19 works) · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (18 works) · Geology (15 works) · Pottery (11 works) · Biology (9 works) · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research (9 works) · History (9 works)