On March 10, a scientific seminar was held to summarize the project titled At the Border of Two Worlds. The Chotyniec Agglomeration of the Scythian Cultural Circle – Stage I: Field Research.

Between 2016 and 2017, archaeological research was conducted in Chotyniec near Radymno, in the Jarosław district, leading to the discovery of an early Iron Age fortified settlement. The artifacts found, including arrowheads, bronze pins, and pottery, clearly indicate an affiliation with the forest-steppe variant of the Scythian cultural circle. The most exceptional find was a large, painted Greek wine amphora from the 7th/6th century BCE—the first of its kind discovered on present-day Polish territory.

Further research in the vicinity of the settlement revealed the existence of several open settlements from the same period, allowing for the identification of a settlement complex known as the Chotyniec Agglomeration. This represents the northwesternmost enclave of the Scythian world, necessitating a shift in the cultural boundary of this circle by at least 250–300 km.

In response to these discoveries, the research project At the Border of Two Worlds. The Chotyniec Agglomeration of the Scythian Cultural Circle – Stage I: Field Research was conducted between 2018 and 2024, led by Professor Sylwester Czopek. The project aimed at a comprehensive examination of the region’s chronology, organization, significance, and cultural connections. The research included non-invasive geophysical surveys of the settlement and selected sites, as well as extensive excavations, including the study of a zolnik—a cult-related structure characteristic of Eastern European fortified settlements.

The project was funded by the National Science Centre (NCN).

NCN experts highly evaluated the project results, emphasizing that “the research on the vast Chotyniec settlement, described as the Scythian gateway to the West, was conducted with great scope but also with meticulous methodological and substantive precision, yielding outstanding results.” They further noted that “the groundbreaking discoveries made by the project team completely reshape the understanding of this site and its influence on areas further west.” Additionally, they highlighted that “this research has had a profound impact on early Iron Age archaeology, challenging many established paradigms and necessitating a revision of numerous concepts.”

The extensive dissemination of the project's findings was also recognized: “Numerous publications by the project leader and team members have been released in Polish, Ukrainian, and English, with the latter gaining international recognition in high-ranking scientific journals.” The project team was also actively involved in “numerous conferences, symposia, and lectures, as well as media promotions, online publications, and the organization of museum exhibitions, contributing to an exemplary model of research dissemination.”

In summary, the project’s execution received a “very high” rating, achieving “remarkable results that are innovative and significantly contribute to the advancement of the discipline.” The research has greatly enhanced the understanding of cultural processes on the borderlands of Central and Eastern Europe during the early Iron Age and has expanded knowledge on interactions between the communities inhabiting these territories.

Congratulations to the entire research team from the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Rzeszów:

• Professor Sylwester Czopek – Project Leader
• Associate Professor Katarzyna Trybała-Zawiślak
• Dr Joanna Adamik-Proksa
• Dr Marcin Burghardt
• Dr Wojciech Rajpold
• Tomasz Tokarczyk, MA
• Ewelina Ocadryga-Tokarczyk, MA