6,000-year-old longhouse site with wealth of artifacts found, stuns archaeologists

In a surprising turn of events in Poland, an archaeological team uncovered not one but two distinct Neolithic cultures, sparking immense fascination in the world of ancient history.

In early October 2024, archaeologists began excavations on a planned construction site in Sandomierz-Mokoszyn. They initially believed they would find remains of the Funnelbeaker culture, also known as “the first farmers of Scandinavia,” who lived in the Middle Neolithic period between 3700 and 3200 BCE.

Archaeologists uncovered large storage pits containing fragments of clayware, flint tools, and animal bones. These findings confirmed their expectations of the culture’s presence. However, a “completely unexpected” and more intriguing discovery was also made: a longhouse dating from several thousand years before the Funnelbeakers (5300-4900 BCE).

The discovery of two distinct Neolithic cultures indicates that Sandomierz-Mokoszyn was not merely a temporary settlement, but a place of long-term human occupation. Although Paris has been inhabited for over two thousand years, the site at Sandomierz-Mokoszyn exhibits a similar longevity, spanning thousands of years beyond our immediate historical understanding.

A longhouse 6,000 years old

Archaeologists excavated a remarkable structure along the site’s north-south axis. The longhouse, dating to the early Neolithic era, belonged to the Linear Pottery Culture. Previously, no evidence of their presence had been found in the Sandomierz Upland, according to Heritage Daily .

T he Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments explained that the Linear Pottery Culture (5500-4500 BCE) consisted of the first farmers and breeders who migrated from the Transcarpathian territory in southwestern Ukraine to modern-day Poland. Named after their pottery, characterized by parallel line motifs, they left behind some of the oldest ceramics in Europe.

Though the longhouse once stood 20 feet wide (6 meters) and 65 feet long (20 meters), only a fragment of it remains. Archaeologists believe the Funnelbeaker culture destroyed it.

The Linear Pottery settlement appears to have extended beyond the construction site, and similar longhouses from this period have been found in other parts of Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine, as per Ancient Origins .

F urthermore, pits and “cops” around the large house provide insights into their cultural practices, including their techniques for building walls out of soil, according to Ancient Origins . The presence of pottery, tools, and obsidian objects (volcanic glass) sourced from Slovakia and Hungary suggests that this region was involved in long-distance trade networks from a very early period.

A multi-cultural site

The discovery of the Linear Pottery Culture in this region is unprecedented, offering archaeologists fresh perspectives on this fascinating group.

Furthermore, another Neolithic culture appeared in one of the pits: the Lublin-Wolyn culture. This single mission revealed significant artifacts from the ancient past, showing that the site experienced influences from multiple Neolithic cultures.

The archaeology team thanked the construction group for their support and encouragement during the project. The treasures recovered from this early human settlement will be transferred to the Castle Museum in Sandomierz.