Archeologists digging at the greenfield site of Poland’s new international airport west of Warsaw have unearthed a trove of finds dating as far back as 7,000 years ago.
Flint and stone artefacts dating to the Neolithic Age (c. 5200–1900 BC) are among the finds, as well as ceramic vessels, intricate metal ornaments, weapons, household items, and coins from the Bronze Age (c. 2300–700 BC) through to the Middle Ages.
Semi-sunken dwellings, refuse pits, furnaces and hearths have also been unearthed.
The scheduled dig began in October 2023 and will finish at the end of 2026, when large-scale land-levelling starts for the airport.
The airport is the central node of Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK), Poland’s multi-model overhaul of its transportation network, featuring roads and 2,000km of high-speed railways.
The goal is to make all major Polish cities no more than 2.5 hours’ travel time away from the new airport, located some 50km west of Warsaw. It’s scheduled to open in 2032.
‘Exceptional for archeology’
“This is an exceptional area in archaeological terms,” said Joanna Gawrońska, Senior Inspector at the Mazovian Provincial Heritage Protection Office in Warsaw.
“Research areas are being opened here and often extended due to the large number of finds. This is an important field of scientific study for us.”
CPK management board member Dariusz Kuś said: “We make every effort to reach all areas where traces of human activity may still lie, before major construction work begins. All finds are national heritage.
“Looking to the past is not only about recovering fragments of centuries-old pottery, but above all about uncovering fascinating stories and protecting our shared legacy.”
The finds will undergo a variety of interdisciplinary analyses, including dendrochronological studies, X-ray techniques, radiocarbon (C14) dating, and anthropological research, along with conservation treatments.
They will then be transferred to museums, as determined by the Mazovian Provincial Heritage Conservator.
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