Bronze bowl

The Roman bronze bowl was discovered during archaeological excavations conducted at a barrow cemetery with the so-called princely graves. The item was found in an inhumation grave with other bronze objects: a pin, a belt buckle, and a pair of spurs. The vessel has a foot, and a pair of opposing lugs with three knobs in the middle. It represents an early type of bowl on foot that originated in Italian workshops, especially those from the well-known foundry facility located in the Capua region, in the vicinity of Naples. The bowl found in Gronowo should be associated with the Wielbark culture and dated to the 1st century. People of this culture came from the Eastern Pomerania region and inhabited the upper Rega and Drawa basin, Western Pomerania region. The cemetery with princely graves in Gronowo is one of the most important archaeological sites of this type. In total, there were 56 inhumation and cremation burials recorded, 49 of which were found under barrows. The site had been examined several times, starting in 1881 with a non-professional exploration and ending with the excavation conducted by Ryszard Wołągiewicz from the National Museum in Szczecin in 1973 – 1977. “Princely” cemeteries are characterized by the form of graves and objects used for burials. Barrows were probably used to bury wealthy individuals of high social status, for example, members of a tribe elite with their families, proving the existence of tribe’s social stratification and extensive trading networks. Such cemeteries were found in the Western Pomerania region in the vicinity of, among others, Lubieszów, Gryfice poviat, and Nowy Łowicz, Drawsko poviat.

Monika Witek