Wczesnosredniowieczne cmentarzysko na stanowisku Pyzdry 11

Early medieval inhumation burial ground on the site Pyzdry 11 was found by accident during the exploitation of gravel. In 2007 the rescue research in those parts of the site which run the most risk of immediate destruction were conducted by Muzeum Regionalne Ziemi Pyzdrskiej (The Regional Museum of Pyzdry). The cemetery location, the construction of graves and their fittings are typical of most of the early medieval burial grounds discovered in the area of Poland. Certain peculiarity was recorded however that distinguishes the studied necropolis among other cemeteries. This distinctive feature is the layout of graves which is relative to the directions of the world. Almost all the graves in the Pyzdry 11 site were oriented along the north-south axis and arranged in quite clear rows. On other examined cemeteries it was a general rule that the dead bodies had been buried along the east-west axis. The discovery of a particular meaning was the burial of a young woman with the unhealed wound in her head. Her grave was equipped with the padlock. Up till now padlocks have been associated with the original fittings of graves of the Jewish people. In the Christian burials they occurred very seldom and the earliest known example is connected with the close of the Late Middle Ages. It should be mentioned as well that the studied burial ground was located in the place of the prehistoric place of worship which most probably was intentionally not damaged and even used during the burial ceremonies (the research revealed a vessel that had been dug into the prehistoric object). Chronology of the cemetery may be initially determined to the 12th century. It must be indicated however, that the place was used to answer the sepulchral purposes in 11th century (grave with a vessel from the phase D).