Skarby, elity i życie codzienne. Analiza porównawcza depozycji przedmiotów metalowych w kulturze mierzanowickiej, unietyckiej i strzyżowskiej

Abstrakt

The article aims to characterise socio-cultural aspects of metal usage of the Early Bronze Age cultural group known as the Mierzanowice Culture (2300–1600 BC), located in the region of Lesser Poland. Statistical analysis of the grave inventories shows that – in general – adult men were the most common social group, to which aforementioned metals were attributed, when compared to women or children. Results were compared to analogical surveys for the Únětice Culture on the Lower Silesia and Greater Poland regions, which show similar distribution of metal in the grave inventories, yet also drastically different social structure, favouring women and attributing larger amounts of metals to children. Strzyżów Culture, located in the Hrubieszów Basin and eastern Lublin Uplands, however, seems to exhibit potential local traits in terms of metal distribution – as analyses depict, metals were much more common than when compared to the Mierzanowice and Únětice circle. Another important factor analysed is the role of local elites and Early Bronze Age phenomenon of hoard deposition, deposits of which have not been yet indisputably proven for the Mierzanowice culture area – the author considers potential possibilities offered by its eventual discovery. The article emphasises it as the main factor that differentiates Lesser Poland from other Early Bronze Age regions.