January 2025, a rare archeological discovery was made by a son of a farmer near the village of Bartosze in Elk County. While cleaning his cattle pasture, he found a bronze necklace dating back more than 2,500 years. The find was handed over to the Viovodeship Office for the Protection of Historical Monuments in Elk, and after the necessary analysis it will be transferred to a regional museum. 

Characteristics of the necklace 

The discovered necklace is an open ornament crafted from a bronze rod with a circular cross-section, decorated along its length with groups of double grooves. It is dated to the fifth period of the Bronze Age or Hallstatt C, indicating that it was made about 2,500 years ago. Specialists from the Center for Applied Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń have determined the chronology of the necklace and will conduct further metallographic analysis.  

Cultural and historical context 

The necklace is associated with the decline of the community of the Masurian group of the Lusatian culture and with the beginning of the activities of the Western Baltic barrow culture communities. The Lusatian culture, which developed in this area during the Bronze Age, was characterized by, among other things, the construction of defensive settlements and burial mounds. The West Baltic barrow culture, on the other hand, was known for its characteristic graves dug under barrows. 

The significance of the discovery 

Magdalena Kozicka, an archaeology specialist at the Elk branch of the WUOZ, stressed the uniqueness of the find, noting that no necklace dating to this era has been found in the region for a long time. Previous discoveries mainly included axes and clasps from the Roman period. The discovery of the necklace provides valuable information about ancient communities living in the region. 

 Sources: Polska Agencja Prasowa, Gazeta Olsztyńska / Zdjęcia: Warmińsko-Mazurski Wojewódzki Konserwator Zabytków