Archaeologists in south-western Poland have discovered a burial that appears to date back roughly 5,000 years, containing an adult man, a striking necklace made from 42 drilled animal teeth and fragments of two human skulls. The grave was found near Żórawina, south of Wrocław, at a site previously known for much later burials. According to Polish Radio, the prehistoric mound was discovered as archaeologists were approaching the end of their summer excavation, revealing evidence of a far older community beneath the soil. Researchers have provisionally dated the burial to shortly before 2900 BCE, although radiocarbon testing is still underway. The unique collection of objects, which also includes amber and bone ornaments, flint tools and a stone battle axe, has raised difficult questions about the identity of the buried man and the meaning of the grave in this part of Europe.
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