Latest news with #FunnelbeakerCulture
Mint
14-07-2025
- Science
- Mint
Older than Giza? 5,500-year-old ‘Pyramids' found in Polish forest
In a remarkable archaeological breakthrough, researchers in Poland have discovered two massive ancient tombs, dubbed the Polish pyramids, that date back over 5,500 years, predating Egypt's famous pyramids. The burial sites were unearthed in Wyskoc, a village in Poland's Wielkopolska region, within the General Dezydery Chłapowski Landscape Park. The announcement was made by local park authorities on Facebook, and the excavation is being led by archaeologists from Adam Mickiewicz University. According to researchers, the monumental structures are believed to have been built by the Funnelbeaker Culture, a Neolithic society known for its advanced agricultural practices and monumental burial architecture. The megalithic tombs are trapezoidal, stretching up to 200 metres in length and 4 metres high, constructed using enormous stones, some weighing as much as 10 tonnes. These stones were transported and assembled using only primitive tools and human effort, showcasing the community's sophisticated engineering skills. What's more striking is that the structures are carefully aligned with cardinal directions, suggesting a solid grasp of astronomy and ritual precision. Inside the tombs, archaeologists expect to find individual burials, with the deceased lying on their backs, legs facing east. Grave goods like pottery, stone axes, and even opium vessels have been found, offering a glimpse into the spiritual and cultural life of Neolithic communities. 'Although the Funnelbeaker cultures were quite egalitarian, these tombs likely held important figures — a leader, a priest, a shaman,' said Artur Golis from the regional landscape park association. Dating back to the 4th millennium BCE, these tombs are contemporary with the likes of Stonehenge, and significantly older than the pyramids of Giza, which were built around 2600 BCE. Archaeologists say such discoveries are rare, especially as many similar tombs across Europe have eroded over time. The forested area where these tombs were found may have helped preserve them for millennia. 'Each generation would build their own megalith,' Golis told Poland's PAP news agency. 'We might still find stone axes, pottery, or clay vessels used for ritual purposes — including those linked to opium.'
NDTV
13-07-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Archaeologists Unearth Two Ancient Pyramids In Poland Dating Back 5,500 Years
Archaeologists working in Poland made a stunning discovery as they unearthed two massive prehistoric structures, dubbed the "Polish pyramids". The tombs, with Neolithic burials, were found in the General Dezydery Chlapowski Landscape Park in the village of Wyskoc, Wielkopolska region. The discovery was announced on Facebook by the Complex of Landscape Parks of the Wielkopolska Voivodeship. The archaeologists from Adam Mickiewicz University revealed that the megalithic tombs date back over 5,500 years to the 4th millennium BCE, roughly contemporary with Stonehenge and predating the Egyptian pyramids. The tombs were built using massive stones, some weighing up to 10 tonnes, which were transported with the help of tools and labour, Archaeology News reported. The structures are elongated trapezoidal shapes, up to 200 meters in length and 4 meters in height. The tombs are carefully aligned with the directions, hinting at a sophisticated understanding of astronomy among the builders. The tombs likely contained single skeletons, laid on their backs with legs pointing east, and were accompanied by grave goods such as pottery, stone axes and opium vessels. The archaeologists noted that the tombs were constructed by the Funnelbeaker Culture, a Neolithic society known for its monumental burial architecture and agricultural practices. "Although the Funnelbeaker cultures were quite egalitarian societies, the tombs held important figures for the community—the leader, the priest, the shaman," said Artur Golis from the regional landscape park association. "Each generation of a given community built its own megalith," he told PAP, Poland's press agency. The discovery provides valuable insights into the social, religious, and architectural sophistication of Neolithic Europe. It also challenges our understanding of early European civilisations. Many of the tombs have been lost or degraded over the centuries, with only those hidden in forested areas surviving into the modern era. "Potentially, these might include stone axes, hatchets, pottery, or characteristic clay vessels, including ones used for opium," Golis told TVP World.
