Archaeologists in northern Poland have unearthed a rare medieval grave, revealing the skeleton of a man buried beneath a carved tombstone depicting a knight in full armor. The discovery was made in early July during excavations in the city of Gdańsk, located along the Baltic coast, and is already being recognized as a significant contribution to the study of medieval Eastern Europe.
The find was made on July 10 by a team from the Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk, who were investigating the remains of a medieval cemetery located near Grodzka, Sukiennicza, and Czopowa streets in the city’s historic centre. The burial site is part of a large excavation area that includes structures dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, as well as what is believed to be Gdańsk’s oldest church, built in the form of a Greek cross and dated to around 1140.
Photo by Piotr Wittman / www.gdansk.pl
This particular grave, marked by a cracked tombstone made of Gotland limestone, immediately stood out. The stone was removed in four large fragments and is now undergoing conservation at the Archaeological Museum, where it will be digitally inventoried and studied. The monument depicts a knight clad in chainmail from head to toe, wearing a helmet, and holding a sword and shield. Its quality and iconography suggest it was an expensive commission, likely used to mark the grave of a wealthy and prominent individual.
Beneath the stone, archaeologists uncovered a wooden coffin containing a nearly complete skeleton. According to Dr. Aleksandra Pudło, an anthropologist with the team, “I can initially say that he was a man of strong build, over 40 years old. His height was approximately 170 centimeters, maybe more. In the Middle Ages, this was the average height for men in Gdańsk; women were on average 10 centimeters shorter. We will know more about the skeleton from this grave after conducting thorough examination. If all goes well, the results will be available next year.”
Photo by Piotr Wittman / www.gdansk.pl
The grave was located beneath the site of a now-demolished building that once housed the “Miś” ice cream parlor, a popular local spot operating since 1962. Excavations beneath the structure have revealed an extensive and layered history of medieval urban development, including small wooden cottages, a heavily used street with 18 layers of wooden poles, and nearly 300 burials associated with the early church. Only eight of the graves had stone markers, indicating the special status of those buried there.
Among these, the knight’s tomb is the most elaborate. The precise identity of the man remains unknown, but researchers hope future analysis will provide more information. The burial may date to either just before or after the Teutonic Knights seized Gdańsk in 1308. If it predates the conquest, the man may have served the Pomeranian dukes of the Sobiesław dynasty; if it comes later, he could have been associated with the Teutonic Order.
Photo by Piotr Wittman / www.gdansk.pl
The excavation team has taken to jokingly referring to the knight as “Zbych,” after the fictional Zbyszko from Bogdaniec in Henryk Sienkiewicz’s The Teutonic Knights, or as the “Lancelot of Gdańsk.” While his true name may never be known, the grave offers a rare glimpse into the lives—and deaths—of the elite in medieval Pomerania.
Archaeologists in northern Poland have unearthed a rare medieval grave, revealing the skeleton of a man buried beneath a carved tombstone depicting a knight in full armor. The discovery was made in early July during excavations in the city of Gdańsk, located along the Baltic coast, and is already being recognized as a significant contribution to the study of medieval Eastern Europe.
The find was made on July 10 by a team from the Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk, who were investigating the remains of a medieval cemetery located near Grodzka, Sukiennicza, and Czopowa streets in the city’s historic centre. The burial site is part of a large excavation area that includes structures dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, as well as what is believed to be Gdańsk’s oldest church, built in the form of a Greek cross and dated to around 1140.
This particular grave, marked by a cracked tombstone made of Gotland limestone, immediately stood out. The stone was removed in four large fragments and is now undergoing conservation at the Archaeological Museum, where it will be digitally inventoried and studied. The monument depicts a knight clad in chainmail from head to toe, wearing a helmet, and holding a sword and shield. Its quality and iconography suggest it was an expensive commission, likely used to mark the grave of a wealthy and prominent individual.
Beneath the stone, archaeologists uncovered a wooden coffin containing a nearly complete skeleton. According to Dr. Aleksandra Pudło, an anthropologist with the team, “I can initially say that he was a man of strong build, over 40 years old. His height was approximately 170 centimeters, maybe more. In the Middle Ages, this was the average height for men in Gdańsk; women were on average 10 centimeters shorter. We will know more about the skeleton from this grave after conducting thorough examination. If all goes well, the results will be available next year.”
The grave was located beneath the site of a now-demolished building that once housed the “Miś” ice cream parlor, a popular local spot operating since 1962. Excavations beneath the structure have revealed an extensive and layered history of medieval urban development, including small wooden cottages, a heavily used street with 18 layers of wooden poles, and nearly 300 burials associated with the early church. Only eight of the graves had stone markers, indicating the special status of those buried there.
Among these, the knight’s tomb is the most elaborate. The precise identity of the man remains unknown, but researchers hope future analysis will provide more information. The burial may date to either just before or after the Teutonic Knights seized Gdańsk in 1308. If it predates the conquest, the man may have served the Pomeranian dukes of the Sobiesław dynasty; if it comes later, he could have been associated with the Teutonic Order.
The excavation team has taken to jokingly referring to the knight as “Zbych,” after the fictional Zbyszko from Bogdaniec in Henryk Sienkiewicz’s The Teutonic Knights, or as the “Lancelot of Gdańsk.” While his true name may never be known, the grave offers a rare glimpse into the lives—and deaths—of the elite in medieval Pomerania.
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