GRAVES OF THE BELL BEAKER CULTURE AT PElCZYSKA, SITE 6, PInCZÓW DISTRICT (Groby kultury pucharów dzwonowatych ze stanowiska 6 w Pelczyskach, pow. pinczowski)

Three graves of the Bell Beaker culture recorded at the multicultural Site 6 in Pelczyska in 2004-2005, have a great scientific value to research into the Late Neolithic in Malopolska (Lesser Poland). Exploration uncovered graves from the many periods of the Neolithic, Bronze Age, pre-Roman and Roman period. The finds of the Bell Beaker culture represent the first cemetery that may undoubtedly be attributed to that culture on the lower Nida River, region abounding in other finds dated to the Late Neolithic and the Early Bronze Ages. The three graves in Pelczyska contained poorly preserved remains of single children's burials, none of them in the anatomical arrangement. Two features yielded a set of pottery consisting of a bowl and a cup. One radiocarbon measurement carried out for grave 12/2004 has dated a sample of human bone from the grave to i.e. 2340-2200 BC. The Bell Beakers graves were younger than materials from the late phase of the Kraków-Sandomierz Corded Ware group, while being chronologically close to cemeteries of the oldest phase of the Mierzanowice culture.