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

Abstract

A non-normative 17th-century burial of a young adult female (grave 75) was discovered in 2022 in a cemetery in Pien, 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.