Bronze Age treasure stolen twice over

In the Polish village of Kalisce, near Biały Bór in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, two treasures from the Late Bronze Age were discovered "lying" on top of each other. They are one of the largest and most varied collections not only in Pomerania, they are also unique in Poland. Unfortunately, the context of the deposition of the finds was irretrievably destroyed during their double illegal retrieval.

In the spring of 2017, several detectorists boasted on social media about the large number of bronze artifacts. Authorities tried to contact the finders and arrange for a handover, but they were repeatedly shunned. They kept the location of the find secret and were uncooperative. In a later police raid, 11 objects were seized, the rest were later handed over to a local museum.

Later, it was reported that another treasure from the Late Bronze Age had been discovered at the same site. Among many other items, it contained, for example, horse harness fittings, weapons, armour accessories and metal vessels, most of them copper. The landowner discovered the treasure under a boulder, dug it up, took it home and hid it. He was eventually caught, had the treasure confiscated and was convicted of concealment and alienation of cultural heritage. Three of the illegal detectorists/robbers were also later convicted of illegally excavating archaeological sites.

According to archaeologists and the police, the farmer first removed the boulder under which he found the treasure (later called Kaliska II), after which they took office at the site" detectorists and picked up another treasure, called Kaliska I (because at the time of the announcement of the discovery of the farmer's treasure they had no idea). Both fall in the same time period.

The Kaliska I assemblage contained 124 mostly bronze artefacts, mainly wrought and cast metal vessels, bracelets and miniature buttons. Several organic artifacts, including a leather strap, spiral-shaped straps, and ornaments made of wood, lay loose in a Gevelinghausen-Veio-Seddin type vessel.

The organic artefacts were preserved in a fragmentary state. Originally apparently relatively well preserved, they were damaged by the unskilled picking up of the robbers. Also of particular note are large, sheet bronze vessels, three Nordic cast bronze Hängebecken-type vessels, 43 bracelets, including seven oval kidney-shaped bracelets and four sickle-shaped necklaces. The quantity and nature of its contents make Kaliska I unique compared to other Polish treasures from the Late Bronze Age.

Archaeologists originally estimated that the treasure may have been deposited between 875 and 750 BC). The preserved organic elements have provided a rare opportunity to more accurately determine the age of the hoard. The results of radiocarbon analysis date it to between 790 and 740 BC.

Roman Němec

Sources: thehistoryblog.com, cambridge.org, academia.edu