Tomb no. 1 at Malżyce, site 31 (distr. Kazimierza Wielka) and the megalithic Funnel Beaker cemeteries in the loess region of western Małopolska

The remains of a heavily eroded Funnel Beaker tomb was discovered at Malżyce, site 31. At the centre of the excavation trench was the central burial with ditches, to the north and south of it, aligned W-E (features 2 and 3), and also, part of a broad depression — where earth was extracted and used to build up the burial mound (feature 7). To the east of the central burial were features 5 and 6, interpreted as elements belonging to the construction of the front end of the tomb. Feature 1, the central burial, was a stone structure, the grave pit held the remains of a maturus individual of undetermined sex. The absolute date obtained for the inhumation is 4765±35 BP which corresponds to 3641–3382 BC. These dates are compatible with the age estimated for the settlement finds attributedto the “classic phase” of development of the Funnel Beaker Culture in the loess upland of south-eastern Poland.