5,000-year-old Polish grave discovered beneath a Roman-era cemetery held a necklace made of 42 animal teeth, a battle axe and two mysterious human skulls

In Poland, archaeologists excavated a 5,000-year-old grave while investigating a Roman-period cemetery in Poland. They stumbled upon an unexpected discovery near Żórawina, south of Wrocław in south-western Poland. The burial contained an almost complete adult male skeleton and rich deposits, including a tooth necklace, an axe, amber beads and parts of two human skulls. The grave dates near 2900 Before Common Era (BCE), during the early Corded Ware period, according to Smithsonianmag.

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What did the excavation reveal?

The archaeologists found the nearly complete skeleton of a Stone Age man who had been buried with an unusual collection of objects, including a battle axe, a flint blade, amber beads and a necklace made from 42 animal teeth. The team came across the Roman-period grave when they were examining a much later Roman-period cemetery.


Researchers determined that the grave actually dates to around 2900 B.C., placing it roughly 3,000 years before the Roman cemetery. The skeleton was lying with the objects that had clearly been placed during burial. Their arrangement may help reconstruct the ceremony after careful laboratory study.

The necklace contains 42 drilled teeth, probably from large mammals. Researchers must still test whether every piece came from an animal. The grave also held amber beads and a used serpentinite battle axe. Two flint implements and fragments of two separate human skulls completed the unusual collection. The site is known for a Roman-era cemetery that dates back to the fourth or fifth century C.E.

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A Stone Age burial hidden beneath a Roman cemetery

What appeared to be a cemetery dating to the Roman period has revealed evidence of a much older burial, offering archaeologists a rare glimpse into life thousands of years before Roman settlement in the region. The burial is particularly striking because of the unusual collection of remains and objects found with the man. Researchers believe he may have been associated with the Corded Ware culture, a broad prehistoric tradition known for distinctive pottery, burial practices and evidence of population movement across Europe.

“From the very first look, it was clear that this could not have been accidental,” Dąbrowski says in the statement, per TVP World’s Maria Kamińska. “Although the string or cord connecting them has not survived, there is no doubt that this was an ornament made by human hands.”

Two human skulls add to the mystery

Among the most puzzling discoveries were two human skulls placed beside the man's skeleton. Their position suggests they may have been deliberately included in the burial, potentially as part of a ritual or funerary practice.

However, archaeologists have not determined how the individuals died or why their remains were placed there. Further analysis could establish their age and sex, identify signs of injury or decapitation and reveal whether they were biologically related to the buried man.

A necklace made from 42 teeth

The grave also contained a remarkable necklace fashioned from 42 mammal teeth. Each tooth had been drilled, apparently so it could be threaded onto a cord. Rather than ordinary animal remains, the carefully prepared pieces appear to have been worn as a personal ornament.

The necklace may have carried symbolic or social significance. Biological anthropologist Paweł Dąbrowski, quoted by Live Science, suggested the man could have been a warrior or hunter and possibly held an important position within his community, such as a clan leader.

Weapons, amber and clues to status

Other grave goods included a serpentinite battle axe, a flint blade and amber beads. The axe may have represented hunting, combat or authority, while amber was a valuable material that circulated through long-distance exchange networks in prehistoric Europe.

The researchers are planning to use radiocarbon dating to figure out the skeleton’s exact age. They will also examine genetic material from the skulls and teeth to determine the individuals’ sexes and the species represented. Researchers will study wear patterns on the teeth, along with strontium, carbon and nitrogen isotope levels in the enamel, to investigate what the individuals ate.