The Trzciniec culture is an Early and Middle
Bronze Age (2400-1300 BC) archaeological culture in Central-Eastern Europe, mainly Poland and parts of Lithuania. The material culture similarity and overall chronological contemporaneity with
Komariv (Ukraine) and Sośnica (Belarus) cultures resulted in the definition of the Trzciniec-Komarów-Sośnica complex[1] or, more recently, the Trzciniec Cultural Circle.[2]
In Poland, the archaeological sites of the Trzciniec culture are found in Central, Southern, and Eastern Poland (
Kuyavia,
Lesser Poland,
Mazovia,
Podlachia, and
Lublin Upland).
History
Trzciniec culture was first identified by
Włodzimierz Antoniewicz, who named it "band pottery culture".
The term "Trzciniec culture" from the eponymous site Trzciniec near
Opole Lubelskie was introduced by
Józef Kostrzewski in 1930.[3][4]
The first complete monograph of the Trzciniec culture was written by
Aleksander Gardawski.[5]
From a cultural-historical perspective, the origins of the Trzciniec culture are associated with three
Corded Ware-related cultures:
Mierzanowice,
Strzyżów and
Iwno.
In general, the Trzciniec culture was succeeded by the
Lusatian culture.
Characteristics
The best known settlements of the Trzciniec culture were in Złota Pińczowska, Więcławice
Świętokrzyskie, Goszyce, and west Bondyrz, close to the kurgans of Guciów. Some of these sites include important treasures containing materials such as ornamental gold and silver like in Stawiszyce and
Rawa Mazowiecka.
Burial rite of the Trzciniec culture is characterized by regional preferences in using
inhumation and
cremation. Cases of inhumation were discovered in Wolica Nowa, in the form of
kurgans. Evidence of kurgan inhumation have been found at Łubna-Jakusy, whereas kurgan cremation has been found at Guciów.
There is evidence for the use of chariots by the Trzciniec culture.[6][7]
Genetics
Mittnik et al. (2018) examined the remains of seven possible Trzciniec individuals buried in
Turlojiškė,
Lithuania between 2,100 BC and 600 BC. The three samples of
Y-DNA extracted belonged to
haplogroup R1a1a1b (two samples) and
CT, while the seven samples of
mtDNA extracted belonged to haplogroup
U5a2a1,
T2b (three samples),
H5,
H4a1a1a3, and
H.[8]
Juras et al. (2020) examined the mtDNA of eighty individuals ascribed to the Trzciniec culture.[9][10] The individuals were determined to be closely related to peoples of the
Corded Ware culture,
Bell Beaker culture,
Únětice culture, and the
Mierzanowice culture. They were notably genetically different from peoples of the neighboring
Strzyżów culture, which displayed closer genetic relations to cultures further east.[11]
Od neolityzacji do początków epoki brązu przemiany kulturowe w międzyrzeczu Odry i Dniepru VI i II tys. przed Chr. – praca zbiorowa pod redakcja
Janusza Czebreszuka, Mikoly Kryvalceviča, Przemysława Makarowicza, Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu. Instytut Prahistorii. Poznań : Wydaw. Poznańskie, 2001
Encyklopedia historyczna świata tom I: Prehistoria, praca zbiorowe, opracowanie naukowe prof. Dr hab. Janusz K. Kozłowski, Agencja Publicystyczno-Wydawnicza Oppress, Kraków 1999
Kultura pradziejowa na ziemiach Polski zarys,
Jerzy Gąssowski, PWN, Warszawa 1985