Archaeologists Just Unearthed A 6,000-Year-Old Neolithic Longhouse In Poland

Archaeologists excavating a Neolithic site in southeastern Poland discovered artifacts spanning thousands of years, including a rare longhouse from the Linear Pottery culture that was constructed around 5000 B.C.E.

Recent excavations of a Neolithic site in Sandomierz-Mokoszyn, Poland, uncovered something completely unexpected. An archaeological team that was originally trying to confirm the existence of a settlement dating to 3500 B.C.E. found evidence of an even older village.

Researchers unearthed the remnants of a longhouse built by the Linear Pottery culture between 5300 and 4900 B.C.E. These people were early farmers who were known for the unique designs they carved into the ceramic vessels they crafted. The longhouse is the first of its kind ever found in the region, and it’s providing new insight into this Neolithic culture.

Archaeologists Unearth A Neolithic Longhouse In Poland

A team of archaeologists in Sandomierz-Mokoszyn in southeastern Poland recently set out to confirm the existence of a settlement connected to the Funnelbeaker culture.

They found what they were looking for, including large storage pits dating to between 3700 and 3200 B.C.E. containing clay vessels, flint tools, and animal bones. However, they also found much more than they expected.

During excavations, researchers unearthed the remnants of a longhouse that was 1,500 years older than the Funnelbeaker artifacts. It belonged to the Linear Pottery culture, early farmers who lived in the area between 5500 and 4500 B.C.E.

The longhouse was about 20 feet wide and more than 65 feet in length. It was constructed using a post-and-beam technique, and its walls were built with material from nearby clay pits.

As reported by Ancient Origins, Dr. Marek Florek from the Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments in Sandomierz stated, “The discovery of the longhouse is the first of its kind in the Sandomierz Upland.”

Alongside the longhouse, researchers found ceramics decorated in the traditional Linear Pottery culture style, flint tools, and objects made from volcanic glᴀss. Now, they’re working to analyze these artifacts to learn more about the Neolithic people they once belonged to.

New Insights Into The Linear Pottery Culture

Historians believe the people of the Linear Pottery culture group migrated to Poland from Transcarpathia, near modern-day Slovakia and Hungary. It’s known that they excelled in farming and animal husbandry, but the discovery of their longhouse is revealing new information about the way they lived.

Similar longhouses have been found elsewhere in Poland, but as Florek stated, this is the first uncovered near Sandomierz-Mokoszyn.

“This is an interesting discovery that indicates that in the early Neolithic period there was a settlement with permanent buildings, not a makeshift camp,” Florek noted. “Moreover, it also confirms the continuation of settlement in this area over several thousand years.”

The tools archaeologists found are also providing insight into the lives of the Neolithic people. The obsidian artifacts were imported, suggesting the Linear Pottery culture traded with other ancient civilizations.

As these artifacts make their way to the Sandomierz Castle Museum for preservation and future public display, they promise to shed even more light on the region’s rich Neolithic heritage.