Obiekt obrzędowy ludności kultury amfor kulistych na stanowisku 17 w Straduniu, gm. Trzcianka, woj. pilskie (Z badań nad kulturą amfor kulistych w strefie wielkodolinnej Niżu polskiego)

The paper presents a feature of the Globular Amphora Culture (later referred as GAC) discovered by chance in north-western Poland, at Stradun, Trzcianka Community, Pila Province. The site lies in the so-called transition zone between two groups of GAC-western and Polish ones. From physical-geographical point of view it is located in north-western part of Walcz Lake District, ca 120 meters to from shores of Smolarskie Lake (Fig. 1). The feature was explored by its accidental discoverers. Archaeologist succeeded to recover all artifacts - 2 vessels and animal bones. Both vessels (Fig. 2), that is globular amphora and bi-conical pot have analogies - in both case not exquisite - in the milieu of the western group of GAC. Local specificity of vessels in question manifests in coexistence of elements typical for various spatial segments of the Western Group. For example, the form of the amphora is most distinctive for the area between, Elbe and Sollau rivers, and - to smaller degree - for Mecklenburg and Vorpommern. In the fill of the feature there was found also 115 pieces of animal bones, all of them of the cattle (two specimens, to be precise). If all bone had been recovered - as discoverers claim - there were part of right front leg - from wrist to shoulder blade, and lower jaw of the another animal. The pit contained also a middle section of the spine belonging to either of specimens. Their approximate age was 3.5 years. They were young, well grown and reproductive mature animals. The bones do not bear any marks of intentional cuts, so their fragmentation is rather to post-deposition processes than to slaughtering. On the ground of observation we may assume that analyzed material come from animal parts intentionally deposited in the pit. From archaeological point of view it is partial cattle burial. Similar burials have been registered only on the territory of the Central (Polish) Group of GAC, with their greatest number in Kujavia, and sporadically elsewhere, for e