Tracing the Past: Microwear Analysis of Stone and Shell Beads Unearthed in Early Neolithic Burials at Samborzec, Poland

This paper presents a thorough analysis of ornaments discovered in two Neolithic burials at Samborzec Site 1, providing valuable insights into their origins and significance. The artefacts, retrieved over six decades ago in the burials of a woman and child, have undergone extensive examination, including raw material identification, microwear studies, and the analysis of red residues found on their surfaces. While most of the ornaments concerned were crafted from marble, two beads were identified as Spondylus shells. Chemical analysis of residues, primarily found on the marble ornaments, revealed the presence of cinnabar, a red pigment of foreign origin. The remarkable similarities in ornaments between the investigated burials strongly suggest the association of both with LBK communities. The presented studies offer valuable insights into their object biographies, from the acquisition of raw materials from distant regions through their manufacture, assembly, and prolonged use as personal items. In this context, our research emphasizes their belonging to a shared Neolithic tradition in Europe.