New sources for dating the settlement complex in Dąbrówka, Dopiewo commune, Poznań district, based on archaeological research conducted in 2021

Abstract

During research conducted in 2021 at the suburban settlement in Dąbrówka, Dopiewo Commune, 12 archaeological features were discovered. Among these, the remnants of a well casing with oak timber and an adjacent pit hold particular significance for determining the chronology of the findings and for understanding the entire settlement complex in Dąbrówka. The well casing consists of 9-10 courses of logs joined with a corner-notch technique, and its bottom was covered with wooden planks. Notably, a well-preserved wooden bucket was found inside the well. Archaeobotanical analysis of the fills of both features revealed the presence of remains of flax, hemp, and nettle, as well as evidence of millet cultivation. Absolute dating of 10 samples indicated that the timber used for the casing came from trees felled in the 850s and 860s CE. The assemblage of movable artifacts includes ceramics, animal bones, and several dozen metal objects, among which are a decorative belt fitting originating from the  Avar-Slavic  milieu,  a  fragment  of  a bradatica (a type of axe) associated with the Great Moravian circle, and a bronze Scythian-type arrowhead.