The 160 objects were discovered in the small town of Kazimierza Wielka in southern Poland during research led by archeologists from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow.
Included in the 1st century BC to the 2nd century AD burial site were four cremation graves and 23 skeleton graves.
One cremation burial stood out due to its use of a copper-alloy urn, adorned with dolphin-shaped attachments, imported from the Roman Empire.
Mariusz Kopiejka from Jagiellonian University said: “Next to the urn, the grave contained typical weapons for warriors of this culture, including a sword, an umbo (the central fitting of a shield), and two spearheads.
“All of these items are very strongly ritually bent and damaged, which is consistent with the funeral traditions of ancient communities. At this stage of research, it is difficult to determine the chronology of the grave.”
Adding that only seven such vessels have been found in Poland, and only four of them were used as urns, he described the find as “extremely rare in Poland.”
The scientists also found that most of the skeletal burials were women, interred with personal adornments and clothing.
Kopiejka said: “In one of the objects discovered this year, at chest level there was a double necklace consisting of glass, stone, and bronze beads, a belted pendant, and bucket-shaped pendants—bronze and iron.
“At the height of the sternum and above the head there were two identical, bronze clasps with a rolled-up stem.”
These items suggest that the burial dates to the late 2nd century AD.
Kopiejka added that several of the graves showed signs of post-funeral disturbances, with upper body bones either missing or displaced, possibly due to secondary grave openings, a practice observed in other cultural groups of that era.
