The Tuchola Forest in northern Poland continues to reveal its secrets as archaeologists explore its vast woods and lakes. A team of archaeologists led by Olaf Popkiewicz made an exceptional discovery near Grzybek, in Wdecki Landscape Park, on the shores of the Żur Reservoir.
What began as a routine expedition quickly turned into a surprising journey back in time. The archaeologists, taking advantage of the favorable autumn weather, decided to explore the area for archaeological clues and then stumbled upon an unexpected grave.
The first surprise was the discovery of a pit containing the remains of a German soldier, likely fallen in battle in February 1945 during the fights over the Grzybek bridge in the final days of World War II. However, what seemed to be a significant find soon revealed additional secrets, leading the team to an even older and extraordinary discovery.
Excavating around the soldier’s grave, the team found evidence of something much older: stone tools dating back to the Mesolithic period, around 9,000 years ago. This discovery is especially relevant to the park’s history, as these artifacts are the oldest found in the area to date.
These tools, crafted by ancient hunter-gatherers, testify to human presence in the area since ancient times, offering valuable insight into the region’s first inhabitants and their survival techniques in prehistoric times.
Additionally, they found Neolithic pottery pieces from the Globular Amphora culture, a group that inhabited parts of Central and Eastern Europe between 3100 and 2600 BCE. This culture is famous for its large, spherical amphorae used in settlements to store and transport products. The pottery vessels and fragments found stand out for their characteristic design and were preserved in a layer of soil in perfect condition.
According to Popkiewicz, unlike other Globular Amphora culture finds in the park area, this site appears to have remained intact, making it an essential source for understanding the lifestyle of the region’s early farmers. These communities were known to live a sedentary life, heavily engaged in livestock and agriculture, spreading their influence from the Elbe River in the west to the Dniester River in the east, even encompassing parts of present-day Romania and Moldova.
But the discoveries did not end there. As the team continued exploring the area around the grave, they found evidence of the presence of the Goths, the ancient Germanic people who settled in various parts of Europe and who, according to some evidence, inhabited this region.
This discovery is similar to another Gothic archaeological site the team has been studying in Stara Rzeka for two years, confirming the importance of this park in the history of European migrations and settlements.
The situation took an even more fascinating turn when the archaeologists began detecting coins scattered around the grave. These coins, of various origins and periods, appear to be part of a dispersed collection.
Among them were several Roman sesterces and, sensationally, a coin from the Byzantine Empire—a follis minted during the reign of Emperor Basil II, also known as the Bulgar Slayer. This coin, dated to the late 10th and early 11th centuries, is an extremely rare find in this region. They also found coins from the period of Poland’s partitions, from the reign of Queen Victoria of England, 19th-century Austro-Hungarian coins, and some Polish coins from the interwar period.
Popkiewicz believes these coins may have belonged to the German soldier, possibly a numismatics enthusiast, as they hail from several countries the German 73rd Infantry Division likely traversed, to which the soldier may have belonged. The hypothesis suggests that the soldier collected ancient coins as a hobby or perhaps exchanged or acquired them during his military movements.
This series of findings, spanning from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages and events of the 20th century, is a testament to the rich and diverse history of Wdecki Park Krajobrazowy and the civilizations that passed through it. The team of archaeologists now faces the task of meticulously analyzing each piece, tool, and coin to unravel the individual stories they hold and establish a connection between these elements and the different historical periods.
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