More than 30 years ago, in late autumn 1967, the famous Upper Palaeolithic mammoth site Kraków Spadzista Street (B) was accidentally discovered. The site is located close to the centre of old Kraków, about 2 km from Wawel castle and Market Square at the bottom of Saint Bronislawa hill. On this hill, two other archaeological sites are also present: Kraków - Zwierzyniec (Middle and Upper Palaeolithic) and Kraków - Brzoskwinia.

Map of the St. Bronisława hill with the location of Palaeolithic sites

Kraków Spadzista Street (B) is associated with five other Upper Palaeolithic sites, all situated within about 100 m of each other on a rocky prominence overlooking the Rudawa Valley (47 meters above the valley). This prominence is isolated from the main part of Saint Bronislawa hill by a rocky cliff from the north and by a large Pleistocene depression from the east and west.

Plan of the Kraków Spadzista Upper Palaeolithic complex

Excavations at site B were undertaken in two stages. The first study of this site was conducted in the years 1968 - 1971. From 1973 - 1989, other sites from the Spadzista Street complex were studied. In 1989, fieldwork began at a location situated a few meters to the southwest from trench B. This new trench was designated B1. Following work between 1989-2000, we can say that trench B and B1 together form one assemblage of mammoth bones, which is estimated to extend past the areas uncovered during excavations.

Excavations. For more photos visit the galery...

The excavations were undertaken jointly by the Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals Polish Academy of Sciennces and the Institute of Archaeology at the Jagiellonian University. Prof. Janusz Krzysztof Kozlowski and Dr Krzysztof Sobczyk described the archaeological material. Prof. Henryk Kubiak and Mrs Grazyna Zakrzewska studied the mammal remains during the 1970s. Dr Piotr Wojtal and Grzegorz Lipecki are studying the mammal remains from the new excavations and reanalysing material from old excavations.
Currently there are two radiocarbon determinations for Kraków Spadzista Street (B) site: 20600 ± 1050 years B.P. and 23040 ± 170 years B.P. The radiocarbon dating of this site indicates the age close to the Last Glacial Maximum.

Excavations. For more photos visit the galery...

The first interpretation of this assemblage was that it represents the remains of two or three dwellings erected from mammoth bones. However, we now have a new hypothesis, which allows us to better explain the creation of this site. It is possible that Kraków Spadzista Street (B) is the actual place where mammoths died, although we cannot conclude whether the mammoths died naturally or were killed by Palaeolithic hunters. It is possible that both of these activities occurred. It is important to point out that the large amount of bones at this site accumulated over a long period of time - at least decades and possibly even years.

Study of the Spadzista Street (B) mammoths are supported by: Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals PAS, Institute of Archaeology Jagiellonian University, Grant No. 6 P04C 064 18 of the State Committee for Scientific Research.