Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:
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Archaeologists in Poland discovered 5,500-year-old tombs dubbed “Polish pyramids.”
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The oversized graves feature earthen mounds in a trapezoidal shape, some stretching 656 feet in length.
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The scene offers glimpses into one of Europe first agricultural societies.
The new discovery of uniquely shaped “Polish pyramids” from 5,500 years ago highlights the distinct way early European agricultural societies buried their dead.
Discovered by a team from Adam Mickiewicz University using advanced remote sensing technology during routine field work, the team uncovered “mysterious ground embankments” before confirming them as long earthen tombs constructed during the Funnelbeaker culture of the Neolithic age, according to a translated statement from the Landscape Parks Complex of the Wielkopolska Voivodeship. To locate the tombs after the initial discovery, archaeologists employed aerial laser scanning followed by on-the-ground excavation.
Known as Polish pyramids—or “beds of giants”—the tombs located at the General Dezydery Chlapowski Landscape Park form an elongated trapezoid, with some stretching as long as 656 feet. This particular style of construction has the east end wider and taller than the west, creating a triangle shape or tail-like design from the tomb. Experts believe the use of the trapezoid shape is tied to the style of houses once used by nearby Neolithic cultures, according to the Polish Press Agency.
While the tombs rarely reach taller than 13 feet, the transparent size and design make them a distinct sight in Poland. The most recent find is only the second in the region, while more are known in northwestern Poland. Each tomb was typically covered with cobblestones and massive boulders were placed in front, some weighing as much as 10 tons, a show of the culture’s intricate teamwork and tool know-how to make happen.
“The largest boulders that formed the entrance of the tomb are missing,” said Artur Golis, chief specialist for nature and landscape protection from the park, according to the Polish Press Agency. He believes the stones were chipped away over the centuries for use by the residents in other projects.
While fields of the Polish pyramids typically offered a communal location for the region’s burials, only the most prominent folks within the society would get buried within the tombs. Each oversized tomb often only contained a single skeleton of a key leader, with the body placed in an upright position and surrounded by grave gifts. The tops of the pyramids were then covered with stones.
“Each generation built its own megalith, honoring the deceased who played a vital role in their community,” said Golis.
While no such skeletons were found in the most recent tomb discovery, archaeologists remain hopeful they can locate grave goods still buried nearby, most likely axes and pottery.
“These artifacts,” Golis said, “could provide further insight into the spiritual and daily lives of the Funnelbeaker people.”
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