Life and Death by the Lake in Pomerania: Introducing the Late Medieval Cemetery at Żelewo Site 1-3

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Life and Death in Medieval Central Europe" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The late medieval cemetery in Żelewo is in northwestern Poland, near Miedwie Lake, on the moraine hill named Catherina’s Hill. Excavations began in 2019 and continued in 2023 as a salvage archaeology project. The site is part of the Kołbacz Monastery’s estate—founded in 1173—the oldest Cistercian monastery in Pomerania. The cemetery is related to the as-yet undiscovered village of Jaśnica, known only from fourteenth-century writings. Cistercians were known for efficient management of cultural and environmental landscapes. Therefore, this project aims to (1) help rebuild the lost history of the region while mitigating site damage, (2) trace medieval cultural and environmental changes, and (3) investigate the Cistercian’s role. Graves excavated during 2023 and 2019 included at least 28 adult and 16 nonadult individuals, from prenatal/infant to older adult. Most burials were oriented west–east, consistent with Christian practices. Recovered grave goods included one bronze belt buckle. Individuals evinced a range of pathologies and trauma, including unique patterns of dental caries and antemortem tooth loss. Traces of previous occupations included flint tools from the Late Paleolithic, Middle to Late Mesolithic, and Late Neolithic, and Roman Iron Age graves and metal artifacts. These findings illuminate potential lifeways in the region.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Life and Death in Medieval Central Europe   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38430.0