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Between Słupia and Wierzyca: Early Iron Age cemeteries in the research of the Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk
On display: 12 September 2024 - 2 February 2025
Exhibition curator: Dr. Piotr Fudziński (Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk)
Exhibition coordinator (Archaeological Museum in Poznań): Marta Sierant-Mroczyńska
Where: temporary exhibition hall on the ground floor of the Górka Palace
Admission: with a valid ticket
The Early Iron Age in Pomerania began around 800–640/630 BC. In this period, people moved away from the older Lusatian burial mounds and started burying their dead in larger cremation cemeteries. It was then that urns adorned with paired "eyes" appeared in graves. Some researchers believe they evolved into the distinctive face urns known from later periods. Pomeranian cemeteries were typically located on small sandy elevations and often included several stone graves containing these unique urns
In Eastern Pomerania, the Pomeranian culture predominated for over 250 years, from the late 7th century to the 4th century BC. It spread into Greater Poland, parts of Central Poland, and even reached Silesia and Lesser Poland. In his book "Polska Piastów", historian Paweł Jasienica describes mysterious people who used face urns and credits them with the first unification of the Polish lands.
Face urns found in graves were crafted in various styles. Some researchers have suggested that they symbolised deities of death. However, others have observed that the faces on the urns were distinct from one another, hinting that they may have been designed to reflect the unique features of the deceased.
The exhibition displays over 60 urns, including both "eye urns" and "face urns," along with a range of accompanying grave goods such as pins, earrings, bracelets, tweezers, spindle whorls, and other items made of metal, bone, glass, amber, and clay.
