Four Roman-Era Brooches And A Ring Found In The Borki Forest, Poland

Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com - During a field search in the Borki forest in Masuria, Poland, local history enthusiasts discovered intriguing Roman-era artifacts.

The society Wendrusz Historical and Exploration Society of the Węgorzewo Land initially anticipated the discovery of buttons and shells from World War II. However, Bartosz Łaszczuk and Tomasz Trypuć from the society unexpectedly unearthed archaeological treasures. These included four brooches, also known as fibulae, a ring, and fragments of other decorative items, which likely include additional fibulae.

Credit: Anna Dymkowska-Kowalska, Wendruscz Society

The Wendrusz Historical and Exploration Society of the Węgorzewo Land, established in 2021, is dedicated to the study and dissemination of local history. The society has curated a historical room at the erstwhile Węgorzewo railway station, where it amasses memorabilia pertinent to the region's history.

In previous instances, society members have transferred various artifacts to monument protection services; these include a socketed axe and a dagger blade dating back approximately 3,000 years discovered during agricultural activities. Furthermore, they played an instrumental role in preserving significant documents related to the Evangelical Parish in Kuty found during the refurbishment of an old school building. Some of these invaluable documents date back as far as the 18th century.

The recent discovery could potentially signify the presence of a cemetery or settlement of either the Bogaczewo or Sudovian culture from the end of the 2nd and beginning of the 3rd centuries CE, the so-called younger period of Roman influence.

The Bogaczewo culture derives its name from the archaeological site in Bogaczewo near Giżycko.

Credit: Anna Dymkowska-Kowalska, Wendruscz Society

Credit: Anna Dymkowska-Kowalska, Wendruscz Society

"As soon as we realized what we were discovering, we stopped searching this area. Each such find is photographed with GPS coordinates and precisely marked on a digital map. This is to aid further archaeological research of the site in the future," Anna Dymkowska-Kowalska from the Wendrusz Society told Science in Poland.

The artifacts found in the Borki forest have been handed over the finds to the monument protection services.

See also: More Archaeology News

According to Magdalena Kozicka, an expert in archaeology at the office, steps will be taken to add this site to the monument register. Additionally, all discovered artifacts will be moved to a regional museum for safekeeping and public viewing.

Written by Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com Staff Writer