Światowit
Journal Data
| Type | JOURNAL |
|---|---|
| Publisher | University of Warsaw (PL) |
| ISSN | 0082-044X / 2657-6031 |
| Scopus | 21101123270 |
| Wikidata | Q96733658 |
| OpenAlex | S4210172780 |
| Website | https://www.archeologia.uw.edu.pl/swiatowit |
| Total publications | 67 |
| Coverage period | 2019 - 2025 |
| Country | PL |
| Language | EN |
| Indexing | Scopus indexed |
| Cited by | 1 |
| Impact factor | 0.265 |
| SJR | 0.129 (Q3) |
| SNIP | 0.237 |
| CiteScore | 0.1 |
| h-index | 1 |
| Female authorship share | 40.5% |
Archeology · Archeology (arts and humanities) · Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Ancient Near East History · Archaeological Research and Protection · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Archaeology and Historical Studies
Technological Insights into Early Medieval Slavic Lead-Glazed Pottery
This study examines the technological development and material composition of glazed pottery from Lesser Poland, highlighting two distinct glazing horizons spanning the 11th to 13th centuries. Employing analytical methods, including lead isotope analysis (MC-ICP-MS), SEM-EDS, and pXRD, the research establishes a connection between early glazing practices and regional polymetallic ore deposits from Upper Silesia. The findings reveal a significant …
Rethinking Miniature Axes
This article presents five newly discovered miniature axe amulets from Bács-Kiskun County in the Carpathian Basin, significantly expanding the known corpus of such objects in Central and Eastern Europe. With a total of eighteen examples now documented from Hungary, including a notable concentration in the southern Great Plain, these finds invite a critical reassessment of existing interpretations. Traditionally linked to the Rus’ cultural sphere …
New Early Medieval Cemetery in Suwałki-Szwajcaria
The paper presents the discovery of a previously unknown early medieval site in Suwałki-Szwajcaria, most likely a plough-damaged Yatvingian cemetery. The find was initiated by artifacts handed to the Regional Heritage Protection Office in Suwałki by a chance finder and subsequently examined by the State Archaeological Museum in Warsaw. Field verification in 2025 confirmed the presence of ornaments and horse-riding equipment on the site, including…
Intra-Cross-Craft Interaction and Cross-Craft Interaction in the Architectural Domain from the Bronze Age to Archaic Period in Mainland Greece
This paper examines the evidence for intra-cross-craft and cross-craft interaction for architectural innovations in mainland Greece from the Early Bronze Age to the Archaic period. Ceramic roofing tiles of the Early Bronze Age, Late Bronze Age, and Archaic period are given particular focus due to their long history in the region and their unmistakable materialization of both forms of interaction. Following a discussion of this case study, a surve…
The Coroplast and the Potter
Coroplastic studies is a vibrant area of research among material culture specialists dealing with the ancient world. With terracotta sculpture ranging in size from miniature to over lifesize, various techniques were employed in the crafting of distinctive products. Use of clay demanded facility with the hands as well as the employment of other technical devices. It is clear from the study of how terracotta sculpture was made that many of the tech…
Equestrian Relief From Ptolemais and The Nisean Horse
Drawing on the analysis of the proportions of the rider and horse shown on the Hellenistic relief found at the so-called ‘House of Leukaktios’, Ptolemais, Libya, this study supports the hypothesis that the aforementioned figure depicts a rare breed of exceptionally large horses – the Nisean chargers from the ancient Nisa in the Median Plain. The author argues that the rider shown on the relief performs a levade, an equestrian movement described i…
The Metals’ Family Tree and their Separate Branches
Metals have been integral to people’s lives for several millennia. We interact with them daily in many forms to fulfil a wide range of needs, from food preparation or elaboration of attire, to architectural components or means of transportation. We take for granted that one material meets these distinct challenges, but discovering metal’s versatility has only been achievable through long-term engagement over a period of millennia. This enabled cr…
De instrumentis – on Metalworking Tools From the Early Medieval Yatvingia
The paper presents a comprehensive synthesis of early medieval tools used in Yatvingian craftsmanship, with particular emphasis on non-ferrous metalworking. The study is based on new data obtained from excavations at sites in Krukówek, Judziki, Jegliniec, and the settlement complex in Szurpiły. Among the discussed artefacts is a small, asymmetrical hammer from Krukówek, the size of which suggests its use in a jewellery workshop rather than a blac…
Peaceful Lands or a Dangerous Frontier
The article addresses two main issues. The first concerns the reconstruction of the distribution boundaries of archaeological sites associated with the Smolensk- Polack Long Barrow Culture and the East Lithuanian Barrow Culture in the interfluve of the Western Dvina (Daugava) and Neman during the last centuries of the first millennium AD (9th–10th centuries, up until the early 11th century). The second issue explores the nature of relations among…
Marble Extraction and its Industry
Through an analysis of the tool marks, imprints on the parent rock, unfinished objects, and the waste left behind, quarries provide a wealth of information about the organisation, manufacturing process, transportation, and the broader stone trade and production they supported. Adopting an intra-cross-craft approach, scholars studying stone craft can gain a deeper understanding of the various stages of production, starting at the primary level of …
The Gareus Temple from Uruk
To the south of the main hill overlooking the ruins of Uruk is the Temple of Gareus. Dated to either 422 SE or 110/111 AD, the temple is attributed solely on the basis of a Greek inscription found inside it. The temple and the deity worshipped therein are of particular interest, as they represent some of the most enigmatic deities from the times of Parthian domination over southern Mesopotamia. It is possible that its origins are rooted deeply in…
Different but the same. The regional model of Byzantine Mareotic bathhouses and the case of Marea T2
Evidence of the Presence of Scandinavians Among the First Settlers of Chernihiv According to Archaeological Data
Scandinavian presence in Chernihiv has previously been addressed through analysis of materials from excavations of barrows within the urban structure of the town. Archaeological research in the 21st century has provided materials that suggest the presence of individuals of Scandinavian origin among the first settlers, for example, disk-shaped ceramic loom weights, which are considered indicators of the presence of people of North Germanic origin.…
Medieval Bone and Antler Artefacts from the Settlement Located Near the Gord of Czermno (site 2)
In 2022-23, excavations were carried out at the settlement near the gord of Czermno (site 2), which is part of the settlement complex of the former Cherven. During the excavations, a large collection of animal osteological materials was obtained, including typologically and functionally diverse objects made of bone and antler. They were subjected to formal-typological, archaeozoological, and traceological analysis in order to identify the raw mat…
Early Medieval Clay Vessels from Podebłocie in the Light of Metrological Research
Pottery constitutes the dominant category within the ceramic assemblage from the early medieval settlement complex at Podebłocie (Masovian Voivodeship). These vessels were multifunctional, typologically diverse, and used across different cultural contexts, exhibiting considerable variation in size and capacity. This paper presents the results of a preliminary study focusing on the capacity of selected clay vessels from Podebłocie. The state of pr…
The Common Man’s Game. Interpreting Archaeological Finds of Dice and Gaming Pieces from Sigtuna, Sweden
This article reviews all known finds of dice and gaming pieces from the settlement layers (occupation deposits) of Sigtuna, Sweden (AD c. 980 – c. 1300). The oldest dice, two items, are of rectangular Iron Age type, while all later dice are cubic. The majority are made from bone, antler, and walrus ivory. Nearly half exhibit a dice pip arrangement of 6+5 / 4+3 / 2+1. The ‘modern’ arrangement, where opposite faces always add up to 7, is less frequ…
The Slavic Component of the Cherniakhiv Culture Settlement in Komariv
This article analyses the formation of residential and settlement structures that are characteristic of early Slavic culture. The analysis is based on archaeological discoveries from the Cherniakhiv culture settlement at Komariv, Ukraine. Emphasising the multi-ethnic character of the settlement, the article notes the coexistence of East Germanic, Proto-Slavic, Geto-Dacian, Scythian- Sarmatian and Roman elements, while highlighting the clear prese…
Northern settlers by the Ślęza River at the dawn of the Late Pre-Roman Iron Age
Until recently, the earliest horizon of Lower Silesia’s late pre-Roman Iron Age settlement was difficult to identify. Outside the Gubin Group area on the Middle Oder, few settlements and burials originating from this period were found. The paper presents a new interpretation of the archival records and pre-war settlement finds from Bielany Wrocławskie (Bettlern), Wrocław-Muchobór Mały (Klein Mochbern), and Wilczków (Wiltschau), as well as evidenc…
A Glazed Easter Egg Rattle from a Grave in the Cemetery in Kołoząb. Technological Features and Lead Provenance
The article presents the results of interdisciplinary research on a glazed Easter egg rattle discovered at an early medieval cemetery in Kołoząb, northern Mazovia. Although not the first find of its kind in the region, the artifact significantly contributes to the existing knowledge of such objects in Polish territories. Technological and chemical analyses (CT, XRF, SEM-EDS, and lead isotope analysis) allowed for a detailed characterization of it…
Inland Cargo Vessels at the Mouth of the Oder River from the Early-Modern Times to the Beginning of the 20th Century
This paper focuses on the construction of inland river vessels used at the mouth of the Oder River. As one of the most important communication arteries in Central Europe, the Oder has undergone extensive regulation over the past several centuries. These changes have led to the development of distinct vessel types, designed to navigate both narrow canals and numerous locks, as well as the semi-open waters of the Szczecin Lagoon and Bay of Greifswa…
A Mysterious Brooch from the Southern Outskirts of Masuria
The cemetery at Chochół (former Friedrichsfelde, Kr. Ortelsburg), located at the southern edge of Masuria, was discovered and excavated in the early 19th century. The results have not been published, and the material was lost during World War II. The only sources of information on the cemetery are archival records. On this basis, it can be established that the Chochół site yielded a unique crossbow tendril brooch with a double spring. Although va…
In Search of the Origins of Early Modern Stele Cemeteries in the Podlaskie Voivodeship
The stele cemeteries from the territory of the Podlaskie Voivodeship constitute a unique funerary phenomenon of the early modern period on the borderland between the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. They are characterized by upright stelae made of glacial erratic stones, accompanied in some cases by stone grave constructions. This article seeks to outline the origins of these cemeteries by analysing analogies with medieval ceme…
The use of flints in prehistory and modern times on open air sites from sandy lowlands. The case of the site Żanęcin 9, Wiązowna commune, Mazowieckie voivodship
Open-air archaeological sites situated on dunes near various rivers are characteristic of the Polish lowlands. Excavations at these sites typically yield chronologically and culturally diverse artefacts made of non-organic materials, such as fired clay or stone. Assigning these artefacts to specific chronological-cultural units is often challenging due to the absence of a clear stratigraphic context. An additional complication arises from the geo…
One-piece Shoes from the Medieval Stronghold in Pułtusk in a European Context
The article discusses a unique collection of late medieval one-piece footwear uncovered during the archaeological investigation of the Pułtusk stronghold (Masovian Voivodeship, Poland) in the 1980s. Owing to waterlogged conditions, numerous remains of organic materials were preserved. Among these, a collection of 11 one-piece shoes was identified, dated to the 2nd and 3rd quarters of the 14th century AD. Three types of cutting patterns are distin…
Cultural Monolith or Mosaic of Diversity? A Contribution to the Study of Funerary Practices on the South-Western Fringe of Old Prussian Territory
For many years, research on the funerary practices of early medieval Old Prussians has focused almost exclusively on evidence from the Sambian Peninsula. Recent discoveries, however, have provided a wealth of new data that enabled the first comprehensive analyses of Yatvingian burial customs. The present article reviews the current state of knowledge concerning early medieval cemeteries in the south-western Old Prussian lands, i.e., in Pomesania.…
Textilkeramik“ – Textileindrücke auf bronzezeitlicher Keramik vom Fundplatz Bruszczewo
The article presents results of a study of “textile ceramics” – impressions of textiles on walls of ceramic vessels – from the Early Bronze Age fortified settlement of Bruszczewo (Greater Poland). On the basis of silicone impressions, an analysis of spinning and twisting directions, as well as textile density, structures, and techniques can be conducted along with their differentiation into twists, threads, non-woven fabrics, tabby weaves, and sp…
The Hallstatt Textiles from the Bi-ritual Cemetery in Świbie
Textile production during the Hallstatt period was an integral part of everyday life of societies living in Poland. However, discoveries of fabrics are very rare. Textile remains from this period survived primarily in the skeletal bi-ritual graves in the Silesia voivodship. Among preserved fragments of organic finds, remains of clothes and elements of accessories can be distinguished. The best-preserved and well-studied textile remains come from …
Beyond Textiles
Fibre crafts are among the oldest technological practices of mankind. Although commonly associated with textile manufacture, twisted fibres in the form of threads have always had a wider range of use in everyday life. Strings and ropes constitute a humble but essential category of fibre products deriving from the same technology and organic matter as threads. Due to their organic nature, however, they are rarely preserved in the archaeological re…
Wool Economy During the European Bronze Age
A number of studies over the last decades have considerably increased our knowledge about production and trade of woollen textiles during the Bronze Age in the Near East, the Aegean, and continental Europe. In the wider Mediterranean area, thanks to the abundance of available evidence, it has been possible to use the concept of wool economy as a frame of reference to define the complex mechanisms behind production and trade of wool. The main aim …
Technical Innovation in Processing of Flax Yarn Production in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula
In space, the Castreña culture was located in the north-western part of the Iberian Peninsula, whereas in time it stretched from the Late Bronze Age to the beginning of the Roman period. This study focuses specifically on the invention and use of the spinning bowl in the Castreña culture. Theoretical and conceptual tools will enable tackling this item with a rigid research methodology and help answer the question of why the invention of the spinn…
Tradition and Innovation in Textile Technology in Bronze Age Europe and the Mediterranean
The papers collected in the present volume of the ‘Światowit’ journal examine developments in textile production in Bronze and Iron Age Europe and the Mediterranean by tracing both traditional and innovative elements in textile technology. The issue comprises 11 original contributions that resulted from the session ‘Tradition and Innovation in Textile Technology in Bronze Age Europe and the Mediterranean’ organised in 2016 by Agata Ulanowska and …
Wool Textiles from the Roman Period at the Site of Grudna, Poland
In October 2012, the Conservation Laboratory of the Institute of Archaeology at the NCU in Toruń received soil samples excavated from a kurgan in Grudna, Złotów commune, dated to the Roman period. No human remains were reported inside the grave chamber apart from some elements of grave goods: a glass bead, a clay spindle whorl, three iron nails, fragments of a bone pin, bronze and iron chest fittings, and a bronze vessel with a stamp of Pubius Ci…
The Celtic sword with bronze hilt elements from Siarzewo, Nieszawa Commune, Kuyavian-Pomeranian voivodeship
A sword with bronze pseudo-anthropomorphic hilt elements typical of the Middle La Tène was found in the Vistula River not far from the village of Siarzewo, Nieszawa commune, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. The scabbard was discarded and lost, but the sword is now in the Kujawy and Dobrzyń Land Museum in Włocławek. The hilt consists of three solid bronze elements: the guard, the tang ring, and the pommel. At present, these elements are separated …
History of some antiquities from the collection of Michał Tyszkiewicz in Gródek
The palace in Gródek, one of the palaces built by the Tyszkiewicz family in Lithuania, was located in present-day Belarus, a dozen kilometres from Minsk. The founder of the building was Count Michał Tyszkiewicz. Built in 1855, the palace remained in the hands of the family until 1918. Among the antique pieces of furniture documented on photographs and paintings are a table and a mirror, today kept in Lithuanian museums. The mirror, decorated with…
Roman fort at Cape Aj-Todor (Charax) and its surroundings. A new look at old discoveries
Despite many years of research at the site, the Roman fort at Cape Aj-Todor near Yalta remains rela- tively poorly studied. A better understanding of the discoveries made at the site can be reached by comparing them with the results of the excavations conducted in another fort also located in Crimea – at BalaklavaKadykovka. This text is an attempt at gathering together all the published information about the discoveries made at Cape Aj-Todor. The…
Marble relief ‘Nero and Armenia’ from the Sebasteion at aPhrodisias in Caria (Asia Minor)
The article is devoted to an artistic and historical study of a marble relief with a symbolic scene of Nero’s victory over Armenia from the Sebasteion sanctuary complex in the ancient town of Aphrodisias in Asia Minor. The temple complex was dedicated to the cult of the Julio-Claudian imperial dynasty. The artistic and stylistic analysis of the relief was performed in the context of the sculptural program and decoration of the whole complex, and …
‘Brown-Clay’ Amphorae from Gonio (Apsaros)
This paper presents the first study of the so-called ‘brown-clay’ amphorae discovered by the Gonio-Apsaros Polish-Georgian Expedition in the Roman fort of Apsaros (modern Gonio, Georgia) between 2014 and 2018. In the course of five excavation seasons, 157 diagnostic fragments of these containers were attested, all belonging to variants Ch 1B2 and Ch 1C dated to between c. 50 BC and the 3rd century AD. Thus, they confirm the existence of the Apsar…
The Egyptian collection from Łohojsk in the National Museum in Warsaw
The National Museum in Warsaw, founded in 1916, took over the function of the older Museum of Fine Arts in Warsaw, founded in 1862. Between 1918 and 1922, the National Museum was systematically enriched through donations by private persons and institutions. One of the most important collections, placed there in 1919, was that originating from an old private museum owned by the Tyszkiewicz family in Łohojsk, donated through the agency of the Socie…
Finds of Illyrian coin hoards from the territories of Greek Illyria. An attempt at reconstructing the circulation of coinage based on the range of particular emissions
The aim of this paper is to reconstruct the circulation of coinage through an analysis of finds of hoards of ‘Illyrian coins’ from the territory of Greek Illyria in the period from the 4th to the 1st century BC. To this end, hoards from modern-day Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Serbia, that is the maximum territorial extent of the so-called ‘Illyrian state’, were compiled in a catalogue. This catalogue of hoards…
Innovative or Traditional? Diachronic Approach to Weaving Technology in Bronze Age Greece
This paper aims at recognising potential innovations in weaving technology that may have occurred in Bronze Age Greece. It discusses whether these assumed developments may be examined diachronically. This discussion is based on archaeological evidence of textile implements, such as loom weights and presumed traces of warp-weighted looms, as well as knowledge of traditional craft and experimental archaeology. After a short introduction discussing …
A Comb or a Loom? An Attempt at Interpretation of the Szemud Urn Image
Combs belong to characteristic motifs appearing on face urns from the Pomeranian culture. They are usually presented in the simplest way – in the form of several vertical lines coming from one horizontal line situated mostly in the central part of the urn. Archaeologists studying the Pomeranian culture accept an interpretation that all images comprised of vertical lines are combs (Dzięgielewski 2007: 183). The article presents another way of inte…
Order in chaos. Spatial analysis of cremated human remains in urn urials from Podlesie, site 5, Oleśnica Commune, Świętokrzyskie voivodeship
A sample of six cremated graves from the Lusatian Culture cemetery from Podlesie, site 5, has been subjected to a spatial analysis aimed at recognising anatomical provenance of bone fragments within the layers of the urn burial. Even though individual features have shown damage ranging from slight to severe, most of the burials have shown an indication of a repeated pattern, with skull fragments predominantly present in the upper layers (Chi2 = 4…
Alleged burial mounds from the late Roman Period at leśnictwo Sacharewo site 3, Białowieża Primeval Forest
The article presents results of excavations carried out at an alleged barrow cemetery located in the western part of the Białowieża Primeval Forest, Poland. The site, discovered in 1996 and verified in 2016, consists of 10 mounds. In 2017, the first excavations were carried out when the mound no. 3, with a diameter of c. 9 m and a relative height of c. 0.7 m, located on the northern edge of the site, was chosen for research. In the mound 39 potsh…
Between the Silence of the Past and the Future
Archaeomusicological research currently con- ducted at the Institute of Musicology, University of Warsaw, institutionalised thanks to the financial support from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (grant NPRH), gave the opportunity to develop a wider field of research. The project includes not only the documentation of musical instruments but first and foremost experimental studies. We started with completely new research on idiophones (…
Michel Tyszkiewicz (1828-1897) et les fouilles archéologiques en Italie
According to Stanisław Lorentz, the collections of Michel Tyszkiewicz, enriched by his excavations in Egypt and Italy, undoubtedly “belonged to the more valuable European collections created in the second half of the 19th century”. After his first journey to Egypt, Tyszkiewicz, enlivened with a passion for excavations, first lived in Naples and then settled permanently in Rome in 1865. As the political situation changed there after 1870 and the n…
Travels of Count Michał Tyszkiewicz to Africa, his excavations in 1861–1862, and the origin of his collection of Egyptian antiquities
Count Michał Tyszkiewicz (1828–1897) was one of the most renowned collectors of the ancient classical art at the end of the 19th century. His interest in archaeology and ancient art was developed during his travel through Egypt in 1861. His Journal of the Travel to Egypt and Nubia, fortunately found in 1992 in Poznań, recounts this journey. From Egypt, Michał Tyszkiewicz brought a collection of antiquities, estimated to have comprised c. 800 obje…
Gotlandic pottery outside Gotland
The article discusses contacts and networks along the eastern coast of Sweden and around the Baltic Sea. The focus is on the decorated pottery c. 0–700 AD. Sweden and Scandinavia had different regional styles of pottery during this period. One of the most distinctive Scandinavian styles is found on Öland and Gotland. This style is distinguished by the elaborate use of stamps and vessels with handles positioned from the rim to the shoulder. Vessel…
Prospections non invasives sur le site de Mustis/Musti (El Krib) en Tunisie
The objective of the first step of the non-invasive survey carried out on the Mustis site described herein was to verify the possibility of locating archaeological remains and to detect the location of the supposed remains by geophysical measurements (magnetic and electric methods). Magnetic measurements were made with Geometrics G-858 Cesium magnetometer with two probes located on the same horizontal level at 0.5 m distance or on the same vertic…
To Dye or Not to Dye
Dated to the Late Bronze Age (Late Cypriot II: 1450–1200 BC and Late Cypriot III: 1200–1050 BC), the site of Hala Sultan Tekke brought to light interesting evidence of textile production and possible fabric dyeing. Finds of loom weights and spindle whorls together with remains of dyer’s croton (Chrozophora tinctoria), field gromwell (Buglossoides arvensis syn. Lithospermum arvense), and shells of murex allow opening a discussion over the methods …
Novaesium type chape from the area of Międzyrzecz
A copper alloy chape was found by chance by a detectorist, Ernest Buczkowski, at Silna – several kilometers to the east of Międzyrzecz. It is a unipartite form with an openwork crescent decoration on the front side fastened to the scabbard with the use of a nail. One should attribute the item to the Roman type Novaesium, dated to the late 2nd century and the first half of the 3rd century. Outside the Roman limes, it was popular in the Elbe Circle…
Textile-impressed Pottery Revisited
Although textile craft is a socially complex and economically significant phenomenon, little is known about textile techniques in the Bronze Age of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, including Estonia. No textile or cloth remains dated to the Bronze Age, i.e. between 1800 and 500 BC in the Estonian context, have been found so far. Only indirect evidence such as possible textile tools and impressions on pottery can be used in the study of textil…