6,000-Year-Old Neolithic Longhouse Uncovered in Sandomierz, Poland!
Recent archaeological excavations in Sandomierz-Mokoszyn, located in Poland’s Świętokrzyskie region, have led to the discovery of one of the earliest examples of a Neolithic “long house” on the Sandomierz Upland. Dating back to between 5300 and 4900 BC, this fascinating find offers new insights into the Neolithic period in Central Europe.
The excavation, conducted by the Three Ages studio from Klimontów, was initially intended to confirm the presence of a Funnel Beaker culture settlement (3700-3200 BC). This culture, known for its large storage pits, pottery fragments, flint tools, stone querns, and animal bones, had already been evidenced in the area. However, archaeologists were surprised to uncover something even older: remnants of a Neolithic settlement from the Linear Pottery culture, which predates the Funnel Beaker culture by several centuries.
Photo Credit: M. Bajka, Voivodeship Department of Monument Protection in Kielce
Early Neolithic Cultures in Central Europe
The Linear Pottery culture, one of the earliest Neolithic societies in Central and Eastern Europe, thrived between 5500 and 4500 BC. This culture is characterised by its distinctive ceramic vessels, which often feature linear patterns filled with white paste. These early farmers, believed to have migrated from the Transcarpathian region, settled in present-day Poland and lived primarily through farming and animal husbandry.
At the heart of the recent discovery in Sandomierz-Mokoszyn was a long house measuring approximately 6 metres wide and over 20 metres in length. This post-and-beam structure, aligned along a north-south axis, is the first of its kind found on the Sandomierz Upland. Similar longhouses have been uncovered in other regions such as Kujawy, Subcarpathia, and Lesser Poland, but this is the first discovery of its type in this area.
Dr. Marek Florek, a representative of the Sandomierz delegation from the Provincial Office for Monument Protection, commented on the importance of the find: “The discovery of the longhouse is the first of its kind in the Sandomierz Upland. It indicates a permanent settlement in the early Neolithic period, rather than a temporary encampment.”
Photo Credit: M. Bajka, Voivodeship Department of Monument Protection in Kielce
Evidence of Long-Term Habitation
In addition to the longhouse, the team uncovered evidence of continuous habitation in the area for thousands of years. Surrounding the structure, they found various utility pits, including clay pits that provided material for building walls. Among the artefacts unearthed were decorated ceramics, flint tools, and two pits containing items made from obsidian, a volcanic glass imported from what is now Slovakia or Hungary. This points to the existence of trade routes during the Neolithic period, linking the region to distant areas.
A fragment of a Neolithic vessel from the Lublin-Volhynia culture was also discovered, suggesting that the area saw multiple phases of settlement activity over time. Dr. Florek remarked on the significance of the find, saying: “This is an interesting discovery, which confirms the continuity of settlement in this area over several thousand years.” He also noted that all of the artefacts will undergo scientific study before being transferred to the Sandomierz Castle Museum for preservation.
This remarkable discovery not only deepens our understanding of the Neolithic period in Central Europe but also highlights the importance of the Sandomierz Upland as a site of continuous human habitation and cultural exchange over millennia.