Construction of a highway in Poland has temporarily given way to archaeologists after the discovery of two ancient settlements with a wealth of unique artifacts.
In a press release from the Polish General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA), the ancient settlement was found near the village of Jawiszowice in the Oświęcim County.
Excavation site of a settlement dating approximately 4,000 years in Poland – (Photo: GDDKiA).
According to Heritage Daily, the first settlement is linked to Lusatian culture, associated with people from the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age who inhabited parts of Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, and Ukraine from around 1100 to 400 BC.
Fragments of clay pots and flint found at the site have helped establish the dating and cultural context of the settlement.
Just a few hundred meters away is an older settlement associated with Mierzanowice culture, a Bronze Age community that lived in parts of Slovakia and Poland from 2300 to 1800 BC.
At this settlement, which is around 4,000 years old, archaeologists discovered traces of permanent structures, storage pits, a ditch, and 34 flint artifacts.
Among these is a distinctive treasure: a complex arrowhead made from Jurassic flint.
According to GDDKiA, due to these archaeological discoveries, the contractor has been forced to temporarily halt work on this section of the S1 Highway construction site, which would have passed directly over the two settlements.
The Polish government has decided to postpone the expected completion date of this highway by an additional 223 days, moving it from July 2024 to May 2025 to prioritize archaeological work.
