BORKOWO, POLAND—A cemetery dated to the tenth century A.D. was discovered during an investigation conducted ahead of the construction of a gas pipeline in northwestern Poland, according to a Science in Poland report. The cemetery contains the remains of 24 people, who are thought to have lived in a nearby early medieval fortress. Artifacts uncovered in the graves include temple or headdress rings, knives, arrowheads, an ax, and beads made of dark blue glass and carnelian. Justyna Marchewka-Długońska of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyńsku University said that the skeletons belonged to tall, robust individuals. “We would not accept a small, rickety, sickly man into a unit tasked with protecting a stronghold,” Marchewka-Długońska said. Radiocarbon dating will be used to confirm the estimated date for the cemetery, which is based on the styles of the artifacts. The skeletons will also be examined in detail. To read about an early medieval idol found in Poland, go to "A Familiar Face."
