Studies of the Trzebnica 2 site on the Winna Góra slope revealed extremely rare traces of a settlement of a group of early human forms (Homo erectus), going back about 500,000 years. Finds of this type are the first in Poland and very rare in Europe. They were discovered in 1988 and were studied until 1994 by an international team of specialists.
Two levels of settlement were detected. Nearly 1,500 stone artifacts and fauna debris were detected in the lower level from 500,000 years ago. Animal bones are preserved in small fragments, sometimes with traces of cuts, which suggests the conclusion that they are remains of game, which was hunted and dragged to the camp. The following species were distinguished: bison, elk, deer, boar, horse, rhinoceros, which forest and steppe fauna represent. In addition, teeth of several large pike were found, and the weight of one of them was estimated at approximately 15 kg. The upper level, containing about 210 artifacts, located about 1 m higher than the lower one, originates from 350,000 years ago. Both levels belong to the microlithic tradition in the Lower Eurasian paleolith.
F – Archaeological site
The range of the Trzebnica 2 site in the open pit mine on Winna Góra.
Cross-section of the southern wall in Trzebnica: tertiary: Miocene: 1 - Poznań clays; Małopolska interglacial: 2-drums and gravels with stone artifacts (dots) and fauna debris - lower level; San glaciation: 3 - residuum of glacial clays; Mazovian interglacial: 4 - sands, 5 - sands with upper level artifacts (triangles); Odra glaciation: 6 - sands, locally laminated sludges, 7-silicon particulate; Lublin interglacial: 8 - lessivé soil; Warta glaciation: 9 - pseudomorphosis of frost wedges; Eemian interglacial: 10 - soil level residue It2, lessivé soil; Vistula glaciation: 11 - dust; holocene: 12 - contemporary soil. A - lower level of artifacts, B - upper level of artifacts.
Trzebnica, site 2. A – The density of monuments per square meter in the lower level: 1 - the edge of the outcrop; B - Concentration of monuments per square meter in the upper level: 1 - edge of the open pit, 2 - frost wedges
