Polish archaeologists work in many places around the world. We conduct diverse research

Dr. Mariusz Gwiazda, an assistant professor at the Center of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw, was the featured guest on the upcoming episode of the "People of Science" podcast, which was created by "Wprost" as a part of the "Science is a Polish specialty" series. The co-leader of the Polish-American expedition in Berenike, a historic port on the Red Sea, Dr. Gwiazda, briefed us on the findings of his team's investigation, the PCMA UW's activities, and modern Polish archaeology.

Please take a moment to listen to the full "People of Science" podcast on Wprost. Polish archaeologists work in many different parts of the globe. The Dr. Gwiazda team conducts a wide range of research. They examine archaeological relics at the Berenike site that date to the time after the Roman army and government left this region at the end of the third century.

"The locals have filled the gap that was left in this area. They were definitely Blemiowie, according to written sources.

The guest on the podcast "People of Science" described them as a nomadic people who, if you believe Greek sources, are primarily involved in robbing the locals who reside in the Nile valley. Ancient Berenike The archaeologist, however, immediately clarified that the truth was more nuanced.

- The Blemias had to step in to fill the void left by Rome by seizing control of the port of Berenike, which served as a hub for the extensive trade in luxury goods between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. We're referring to the coasts of India, Pakistan, and East Africa, which were once a source of expensive spices, textiles, ivory, and semi-precious and precious stones.

He explained that the Blemias were in control of all of this at the time, which undoubtedly allowed them to grow their economy and create the tombs that we now explore. The archaeologist emphasizes that Berenike is a special place because of its commercial significance.

According to Dr. Gwiazda, the goods that had a destination—whether it was the Apennine Peninsula or Alexandria—remained at the site in small quantities. Examples of these goods include a large number of silver ornaments, ceramics, oil lamps, wine amphorae, spice relics, and various exotic plants. There must have been at least a dozen linguistic and ethnic groups present in this area, according to texts found either on stone or in fragments of ceramic vessels.

The archaeologist declares that this is a very unusual circumstance. Even though scientists have been digging in Berenike for years, they have only found 1-2 percent of what they were looking for.

overall size of the city. Additionally, Berenike employs contemporary research methodologies.

Magnetic research is something we could apply widely. Dr. Gwiazda admits, "We were able to map the entire surface of the ancient city with the assistance of Tomasz Herbich from the Institute of Archeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

- To map the site, which is divided into 10-meter squares, a magnetometer is employed. The archaeologist explains that in doing this, we gain knowledge of what lies beneath the surface.

Without even putting a spade an inch into the ground, we can recreate an extremely accurate plan of the placement of different buildings and the relationships between them on a sizable area, he continues. However, the majority of archaeological research consists of excavations, so describe a typical day in the life of an archaeologist.

How does an archaeologist spend a typical day at an Egyptian archaeological site? we enquired of Dr. Star. He acknowledged that work starts at dawn because of the temperature.

We travel to the field and excavate individual structures with the help of the workers. Of course, we take breaks for breakfast in the interim.

When the physically demanding portion of the excavation work, i. e.

We have a brief period of rest every 6 to 8 hours or so, but after that, we get back to our intellectual and documentation work, according to Dr. Gwiazda. - We fill out excavation cards, which enable us to record and/or organize all the information pertaining to the layers being explored.

To ensure that the information we discovered at the time of unveiling is preserved for future generations in the best quality possible, he continues, "we organize photographic documentation, make drawings, and build three-dimensional models of the objects we explore.". The archaeologist acknowledged that this work is invariably connected to some level of destruction.

Therefore, he emphasizes, "it is our responsibility to document everything in a way that it can be recreated and duplicated in the future.". The development of a virtual tour of the historic port of Berenike is another project in which Dr. Gwiazda is engaged.

- To achieve this, we employ 360-degree cameras, which are remarkably similar to those found in Google Maps' virtual reality system. He acknowledged that this is also intended to have the effect of making it possible to walk around the exhibit along pre-designated paths in the google maps system in order to see the most interesting objects.

Naturally, the Center of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw engages in more than just research in Berenike. - Approximately 20 excavation projects are currently being conducted by the Center of Mediterranean Archeology in seven different countries.

It is e. g.

Georgia, Cyprus, Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Lebanon, and other countries. In terms of chronology and the topics they address, these studies are very diverse, the archaeologist acknowledged.

It covers such a wide range, in fact. "If we tried to find another organization in the world that conducts this much research, it seems to me that it would only be the German Archaeological Institute, which is part of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs," he continued.

Future of archaeology And how has archaeology changed with the advancement of technology? - On the one hand, there has been an improvement in our documentation methods. The magnetic tests that were mentioned are those.

According to Dr. Gwiazda, these are new techniques for cataloging monuments and building three-dimensional models without the use of scanners or even just photos. - We are now including more experts who are not archaeologists in our research, which is another change that has taken place.

He lists geologists, medical specialists, mathematicians, physicists, and, of course, chemists who enable us, for example, to determine what elements were deposited in which archaeological layers. These professionals also assist us in developing new methods for analyzing the data we collect. In addition, we questioned a PCMA UW archaeologist about his vision for the future of the discipline.

The fact that we will use the accomplishments of other scientific disciplines on a larger scale is undeniable, but I don't think we can predict with any degree of certainty in which direction it will go. The archaeologist foresees that we will employ a wider range of analytical techniques, which will give us access to ever-more-detailed data.

In contrast to studies typical of earlier archaeology, which focused on one newly discovered artifact in its particular context, we are currently in the process of building enormous databases containing information that is already the subject of statistical analyses. Currently, we are attempting to gather as much trustworthy data as we can, much of which must have already been processed by computer systems.

In order to accomplish this, he adds, we also use artificial intelligence. Dr. Dot Gwiazda acknowledged that it is becoming more and more common to use artificial intelligence to locate specific locations using satellite images, including color differences that can be seen on the Earth's surface or differences in the terrain.

The archaeologist emphasizes that these are directions that will undoubtedly gain popularity. But in the end, he continues, "we still need to dig a particular area, obtain specific information that, for example, will allow us to date what we see on the surface.".

In collaboration with Studio Plac, the podcast "Wprost o Kulturze" was produced. Great scientists from Poland Read more articles on Polish science Project co-financed by the Ministry of Education and Science under the "Social Responsibility of Science" program obtain specific information that, for example, will allow us to date what we see on the surface - he continues.

In collaboration with Studio Plac, the podcast "Wprost o Kulturze" was produced. Great scientists from Poland Read more articles on Polish science Project co-financed by the Ministry of Education and Science under the "Social Responsibility of Science" program obtain specific information that, for example, will allow us to date what we see on the surface - he continues.

In collaboration with Studio Plac, the podcast "Wprost o Kulturze" was produced. Polish people are known for their expertise in science. Read more articles on Polish science here. This project was co-funded by the Ministry of Education and Science under the "Social Responsibility of Science" program.

Mariusz Gwiazda, an assistant professor at the Center of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw, was the featured guest on the upcoming episode of the "People of Science" podcast, which was created by "Wprost" as a part of the "Science is a Polish specialty" series.