The find in the village of Orłowo was made during earthworks for a new gas pipeline, according to reports.
The discovery includes the skeletons of four people—a man, two women and a child—arranged with their heads close together and arms intertwined.
Specialists say the context and condition make it a find of international importance.
A "microlithic core," a small stone tool typical of the later Mesolithic period, was found by the child’s head. The grave contained no pottery, no tools from the later Neolithic era, and no layer of black topsoil within the pit, all signs that point to a rare, intentional Mesolithic burial.
Traces of red ochre, a natural pigment commonly used in prehistoric funerary rites as a symbol of life and blood, were visible on the bones.
The Mesolithic, or Middle Stone Age, in what is now Poland spanned the period from around 9,500 to 5,500 BCE, a time when hunter-gatherer communities were adapting to warmer post-Ice Age environments and gradually experimenting with early forms of agriculture.
To put the age of the Orłowo grave in context, Egypt’s earliest pyramids were built much later, around 2650 BCE.
Anthropologists from the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw will lead the scientific study of the remains. Further analysis is expected to shed light on Mesolithic beliefs and burial practices, which are still only partially understood.
The pipeline project between the villages of Latkowo and Wrzosy is run by Polska Spółka Gazownictwa (PSG), the national gas distribution company.
Work on sites with known or possible heritage value in Poland requires approval from regional conservators, who can mandate on-site archaeological supervision and rescue excavations if artifacts or human remains are found.
"Care for historical heritage discovered on Polish soil is very important to our company," said Szymon Paweł Moś, a member of the PSG management board.
"We will cooperate with all institutions to secure this exceptional find and support its future display," he added.
(rt/gs)
Source: psgaz.pl