Swords And Spears Of The Yotvingians – A Long-Forgotten Ancient Warrior Culture Discovered In Poland

Jan Bartek -  AncientPages.com – Archaeologists, who investigated an ancient cemetery discovered several swords, spears and other artifacts that belonged to the Yotvingians, a long-forgotten ancient warrior culture in the Suwalki region of eastern Poland. As many as 500 items were retrieved from the ancient site.

A scene from a Yotvingian festival in Suwałki last year. The Yotvingians were famed for their warrior culture. Credit: Artur Reszko/PAP

The Yotvingians were a Baltic people that contributed to the development of several Eastern European nations, such as Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, Poland, and Ukraine.

A map showing the ancient land of the Yotvingians. Credit: Public Domain

Mentioned in ancient chronicles, the Yotvingians were said to have been very courageous, fierce and quick as animals. They were a warrior culture and they spent most of their lives fighting wars or hunting. Before being absorbed into the larger Slavic and Germanic groups that surrounded them,  the Yotvingians spoke a language related to Old Prussian.

The Yotvingians were like the Prussians, and Semigallians followers of the ancient Pagan faith, and “they were survivors from the days of the crusades”. ¹

Now we have the opportunity to learn more about the Yotvingians, who are an ancient people long lost to time.

This new find is described by archaeologists as the “biggest Yotvingian cemetery from the early Middle Ages”.

Some of the ancient weapons unearthed from the site of the cemetery. Credit: Jakub Mikołajczuk/Muzeum Okręgowe w Suwałkach

“The area is very rich in Yotvingian culture and rituals,” Jerzy Siemaszko, an archaeologist from the Suwałki District Museum, told PAP. “Getting to the items has been quite easy because they are in a layer about 20-30 centimeters beneath the surface of the ground.

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“The area was used by the Yotvingians in the early Middle Ages, between the 11th and 13th centuries,” he added. “It was the site of very unusual crematory cemetery where the remains of funeral pyres were dumped along with gifts for the dead.”

According to The First News, “excitement generated by the find has, however, been tempered by the fact that treasure hunters appeared to have got there first, stealing an estimated 1,000 items despite the fact that such actions are illegal and bring with them a stint in prison of up to 10 years.

The area of the find is now secured and its whereabouts kept secret to prevent further robbery.

Written by Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com Staff Writer

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