A unique, non-normative burial of a young adult female from a 17th-century cemetery in Pień, north-central Poland. A multidisciplinary approach

Poliński, D, Zagrodzka, M, Grzybowski, T, Borrini, M ORCID: 0000-0003-3863-4992, Lynch, PA, Cybulska, M, Grabarczyk, J, Kowalska, M, Laskowski, T, Karczewski, J, Molewski, P, Engelgardt, P and Czyżewski, Ł (2026) A unique, non-normative burial of a young adult female from a 17th-century cemetery in Pień, north-central Poland. A multidisciplinary approach. Journal of Archaeological Science Reports, 74. ISSN 2352-409X

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Abstract

A non-normative 17th-century burial of a young adult female (grave 75) was discovered in 2022 in a cemetery in Pień, Poland. The burial, uncovered and later disturbed, is distinguished by the co-occurrence of a sickle and a padlock within a single grave, a combination not previously reported in the published archaeological literature. A series of archaeological and osteological examinations were conducted. The methodological approaches included radiocarbon dating, DNA analysis, elemental composition (SEM-EDS and MAXRF), and stable isotopic analyses. In the studies of textiles materials, SEM-EDS analysis was employed, whereas for the artifacts discovered with the individual's remains (the padlock and the sickle), X-ray imaging and xylological analysis were utilized. This research provides a stronger basis for interpreting the cultural and historical context of the time, including an attempt to address questions regarding the circumstances of the death of the female from grave 75. Grave 75, a female of high social status, was likely feared at the time of her burial due to a padlock on the big toe of her left foot. In addition, her grave underwent a secondary deposition, presumably to resecure the grave by adding a sickle around the neck. These observed practices can be described as anti-demonic, protecting the living from dangerous deceased individuals, in which grave 75 would likely have been blamed for unspecified misfortunes (e.g., diseases, famine) that often plagued the 17th-century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Ongoing palaeopathological research may shed new light on the cause of death of this young female, which remains a mystery today.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Non-normative burial; Archaeological analyses; Osteology; DNA analysis; Isotopic analyses; Elemental composition analyses; Anti-demonic practices; 4301 Archaeology; 4303 Historical Studies; 43 History, Heritage and Archaeology; 2101 Archaeology; 4301 Archaeology
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GR Folklore G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GT Manners and customs H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman Q Science > QE Geology > QE701 Paleontology
Divisions:	Biological and Environmental Sciences (from Sep 19)
Publisher:	Elsevier
Date of acceptance:	18 July 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	9 September 2026
Date Deposited:	09 Sep 2026 08:19
Last Modified:	09 Sep 2026 08:19
DOI or ID number:	10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105967
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/29353

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