Komitet Nauk Pra- i Protohistorycznych Polskiej Akademii Nauk

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"The Committee's scope of activity includes the discipline of archaeology and other scientific disciplines cooperating with it. The Committee is a self-governing representation of the discipline of archaeology serving to integrate scholars from all over the country"  (from the Regulations of the Committtee).

"The tasks of the Committee - in addition to the tasks indicated in Article 36(1) of the Act of 30 April 2010 on the Polish Academy of Sciences (Journal of Laws of 2019, items 1183, 1655, 2227, of 2020, item 695) - include undertaking all activities aimed at the development of the scientific discipline represented by the Committee and using their achievements for the good of the country" (from the Regulations of the Committtee).

 The Committee for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences in 1990-2022 

(based on documents in the Archive of the Committee) 

    The Committee of Pre- and Protohistorical Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences was established in 1990 "as a self-governing, nationwide representation for prehistoric and ancient archaeology, as well as the Middle Ages and modern times, along with disciplines cooperating with them. It was created on the wave of changes including Polish science. The initiators of its creation were Professors Witold Hensel and Stanisław Tabaczyński, members of the Polish Academy of Sciences. This initiative has gained wide support among archaeologists from various scientific centers”. (Jacek Lech, Od redaktora, s. 7, w: Archeologia na progu III tysiąclecia, Warszawa 2001).

    The first meeting of the Committee of the 1^st term (1990-1992) was held on 29.11.1990. There were 37 members of the Committee, 30 of them has been elected. The Chairman of the Committee was Prof. Stanisław Tabaczyński. In the Presidium were: Prof. Andrzej Nadolski –  Vice-Chairman, Prof. Karol Myśliwiec, Prof. Teresa Węgrzynowicz –  Scientific Secretary, and Prof. Jan Machnik.

   In the 2^nd term (1993-1996) the Committee consisted of 37 people. The Chairman of the Committee was re-elected Prof. Stanisław Tabaczyński, and in the Presidium were Professors: Jacek Lech – Scientific Secretary, Bolesław Ginter – Vice-Chairman, Bogusław Gediga and Lech Krzyżaniak.  

    In the second term of office, the following commissions were established: Commisssion for Archaeology of the Middle Ages and Modern Times, Commisssion for Didactics and University Programs, Commisssion for History and Methodology of Archaeological Research; Commisssion for Archaeological Conservation, Commisssion for Field Research Methodology, Commisssion for Source Studies.

  A brochure was also published (edited by J. Lech) containing an assessment of the state of archaeology in Poland (pp. 15-28), studies prepared by invited specialists on the main fields of archaeological research (pp. 31-60) and information materials on the organizational structure of the Committee in the second term, theRegulations of the KNPiP adopted at the plenary session of the Committee on June 24, 1994 and the Regulations for awarding scientific awards of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

    The first plenary meeting of the Committee of the 3^rd term (1997-1999) was held on 11 October 1996. The Chairman of the Committee was Prof. Stanisław Tabaczyński and in the Presidium were Professors: Bolesław Ginter – Vice-Chairman, Jan Dąbrowski – Scientific Secretary, Lech Leciejewicz and Lech Krzyżaniak.

    In this term of office 8 commissions were appointed: Commisssion for Methodology of Field Research – chairman Prof. Ryszard Grygiel; Commisssion for Archaeology of the Middle Ages and Modern Times – chairman Prof. Jerzy Kruppé; Commisssion for History and Methodology of Archaeological Research – chairman Prof. Jacek Lech; Commisssion for Conservation – chairman Prof. Lech Czerniak; Commisssion for Slavic Archaeology – chairman Prof. Lech Leciejewicz; Commisssion for Bronze Age and Early Iron Age – chairman Prof. Marek Gedl; Commisssion for Roman Period– chairman Prof. Zenon Woźniak; Commisssion for Ceramics Research – chairman Prof. Andrzej Buko. Two national committees operated within the Committee: the National Committee for Cooperation with the International Union of Pre- and Protohistorical Sciences and the National Committee for Cooperation with the International Union of Slavic Archaeology.

    The editorial committee of the KNPiP Series was also elected under the chairmanship of Prof. Janusz K. Kozłowski; the editor of the series remained Prof. Jacek Lech.

    In the third term, two volumes were published as part of the KNPiP Series: volume 1 –  Erazm Majewski i warszawska szkoła prehistoryczna na początku XX wieku (Erazm Majewski and the Warsaw prehistoric school at the beginning of the twentieth century), ed. S.K. Kozłowski, J. Lech, Warsaw 1996 and volume 2 – Z badań nad krzemieniarstwem epoki brązu i wczesnej epoki żelaza (From research on the flint processing of the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age), ed. J. Lech, D. Piotrowska, Warsaw 1997.

    In the 4^th term (1999-2003) the Committee had 38 members. The first plenary meeting was held on 31 May 1999. In the Presidium were Professors: Stanisław Tabaczyński – Chairman, Michał Kobusiewicz - Vice-Chairman, Jacek Lech - Scientific Secretary, Bogusław Gediga and Marek Gedl.

    During this term of office, 4 commissions were established: Commisssion for Archaeology of the Middle Ages and Modern Times – chairman Prof. Jerzy Kruppé; Commisssion for History and Methodology of Archaeological Research – chairman Prof. Bogusław Gediga; Commisssion for Bronze Age and Early Iron Age – chairman Prof. Marek Gedl; Commisssion for Pre-Roman and Roman Period – chairman Prof. Zenon Woźniak.

    In March 2001 the Committee established a two-person team for the development of a Set of Principles and Ethical Standards of the Archaeologists' Community in Poland, and in January 2002 – a three-person Team for the Second Ranking of Archaeological Journals. Prof. J. Lech, D. Piotrowska M.A. and Dr. F.M. Stępniowski were in the last Team. The National Committee of the International Union of Pre- and Protohistorical Sciences (chairman – Prof. M. Kobusiewicz) and the National Committee of the International Union of Slavic Archaeology (chairman – Prof. Lech Leciejewicz) acted as sections of the Committee.

   The Chairman of the Editorial Committee of the KNPiP Papers series was Prof. J.K. Kozłowski, the editor of the series remained Prof. J. Lech. The following books were published as the following volumes of the KNPiP series: volume III – V. Gordon Childe i archeologia w XX wieku (V. Gordon Childe and archaeology in the twentieth century), edited by J. Lech, F.M. Stępniowski, Warsaw 1999, volume IV – Kultury archeologiczne a rzeczywistość dziejowa (Archaeological cultures and historical reality), ed. S. Tabaczyński, Warsaw 2000, and volume V – Wielkie cmentarzyska z epoki brązu i wczesnej epoki żelaza (Great cemeteries from the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age), ed. M. Gedl, Warsaw 2002.

        In 2001, another brochure was published, edited by J. Lech, entitled: Archaeology at the beginning of the third millennium, containing materials from the solemn plenary meeting and a scientific conference on the occasion of 10 years of the Committee's activity, as well as information materials such as: organizational structure of the KNPiP, Regulations of the KNPiP of December 15, 1999, results of the ranking of Polish archaeological journals.

    Together with the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences the book Archeologia w teorii i praktyce (Archaeology in Theory and Practice) (Warsaw 2000) was published. It was edited by Professors A. Buko and P. Urbańczyk, and dedicated to Prof. S. Tabaczyński on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of his birth.

    In the 5^th term (2003-2007) the Committee had 31, and after the death of Prof. L. Krzyżaniak in 2004, 30 members. The first plenary meeting was held on 16 May 2003 and the last in this term on 15 March 2007. In the Presidium there were: Chairman - Prof. Jacek Lech, Vice-chairman - Prof. Michał Kobusiewicz, Scientific Secretary – Prof. Marek Dulinicz, Members of the Presidium - Prof. Piotr Bieliński and Prof. Bolesław Ginter. The Honorary Chairman was elected Prof. S. Tabaczyński, member of the PAS. In 2005, one of the members of the Committee, Prof. Karol Myśliwiec was elected a corresponding member of the PAS.

     In this term of office, the following commissions were appointed: Commission for Archaeology of the Middle Ages and Modern Times – chairman Prof. Jerzy Kruppé; Commission for History and Methodology of Archaeological Research – chairman Prof. Bogusław Gediga; Commission for Bronze Age and Early Iron Age – chairman Prof. Marek Gedl; Commission for Anthropology of Prehistory and the Middle Ages – chairman Prof. Stanisław Tabaczyński, member of the PAS, Commission for History of Archaeology - chairman Prof. Jacek Lech. The sections of the Committee were: the National Committee of the International Union of Pre- and Protohistorical Sciences (UISPP) (chairman – Prof. M. Kobusiewicz) and the National Committee of the International Union of Slavic Archaeology (chairman – Prof. Lech Leciejewicz). The editor of the Committee's publications and the KNPiP Works series was re-elected Prof. J. Lech. The Editorial Committee of the aforementioned series was chaired by Prof. J.K. Kozłowski.

    On 24 October 2003, The Set of Principles and Ethical Standards of the Archaeologists' Community in Poland was accepted. Its text has been sent to archaeological institutions throughout the country and is also available on the Committee's website in a separate tab.

    In the 6^th term (2007-2010) the Committee initially had 34 members, and at the end of the term of office - 32 (after the death of Prof. W. Hensel, member of the PAS, Prof. Marek Dulinicz and Prof. Lech Leciejewicz). The Chairman of the Committee was elected Prof. Jan Machnik, the Honorary Chairman was Prof. Stanisław Tabaczyński, member of the PAS, and the Vice-President was Prof. Bolesław Ginter. The Scientific Secretary of the Committee was Prof. Zofia Sulgostowska. In the Presidium there were also Prof. Piotr Bieliński and Prof. Marek Dulinicz (untill his death on 6 June 2010). The Committee of Pre- and Protohistorical Sciences of the PAS of the sixth term of office operated until the end of June 2011.

    During this term of office there were 7 commissions and 1 scientific team: Commission for Anthropology of Prehistory and the Middle Ages – chairman Prof. Stanisław Tabaczyński, member of the PAS, Commission for Methods and Theory of Archaeological Research – chairman Prof. Bogusław Gediga; Commission for the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age – chairman Prof. Sylwester Czopek; Commission for Archaeology of the Middle Ages and Modern Times – chairman Prof. Jerzy Piekalski; Commission for the Late Neolithic and the Beginnings of the Bronze Age – chairman Prof. Aleksander Kośko; Commission for the History of Archaeology – chairman Prof. Jacek Lech, then Prof. Przemysław Urbańczyk; Team for Archaeological Conservation – chairman Prof. Bogusław Gediga. The composition of the Editorial Committee of the KNPiP Papers series has not been changed, and Prof. J. Lech was re-elected as the editor-in-chief of the Committee's publications and the KNPiP series. The sections of the Committee mentioned in the previous term of office continued to operate, and their chairmen did not change.

   In 2007, the following papers were published: Z badań nad osadnictwem epoki brązu i wczesnej epoki żelaza w Europie Środkowej (From research on the settlement of the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age in Central Europe) (with date of publishing 2006), edited by W. Blajer, published in cooperation with the Institute of Archaeology of the Jagiellonian University, Polskie czasopisma archeologiczne na tle europejskim (Polish archaeological journals on the European background), edited by J. Lech, and volume VI of the KNPiP series entitled Pół wieku z dziejów archeologii polskiej (1939-1989) (Half a century from the history of Polish archaeology (1939-1989)), ed. J. Lech. 

    In cooperation with the Committee, the following books have been published: The History of Archaeology and Archaeological Thought in the 20th Century, ed. W. Piotrowski, A. Grossman, Biskupin 2007, and Nowe materiały kultury łużyckiej i pomorskiej z Pomorza (New Materials of the Lusatian and Pomeranian Cultures from Pomerania), ed. M. Fudziński, H. Paner, S. Czopek, Gdańsk 2009 (see details in the publications tab). In cooperation with the Institute of Prehistory of the Adam Mickiewicz University, the Commission for Methods and Theory of Archaeological Research has published a book entitled Antropomorfizacje w pradziejach i starożytności (Anthropomorphizations in Prehistory and Antiquity) (eds. E. Bugaj, A.P. Kowalski), which is another volume in the series Aesthetics in Archaeology.

    In 2010 the Committee prepared an assessment of the state of archaeology in Poland against the international background. For this purpose, a questionnaire was prepared, which was sent in the years 2005-2009 to independent researchers of archaeology in Poland and to directors of archaeological museums. This survey referred to a survey conducted during the initial terms of the Committee, and covered the years 1975-2000. At the end of 2009, the Committee also asked for the opinions of 13 experts representative of the archaeological community.

     The members of the Committee of the next, 7^th term (2011-2015) were elected in July-September 2011. The first meeting of the new Committee took place on 2 December 2011 and the last on 15 September 2015. Initially, there were 29 elected members in it and one member of the PAS. Eventually, after co-opting, there were 39 members. Prof. Bogusław Gediga was elected chairman, and Prof. Stanisław Tabaczyński, member of the PAS, became Honorary Chairman. Vice-Presidents were: Prof. Jan Chochorowski, Prof. Michał Parczewski and Prof. Marzena Szmyt, and the Scientific Secretary was Dr. Joanna Kalaga. The Presidium members were elected: Prof. Bolesław Ginter, Prof. Andrzej Buko, Prof. Krzysztof Ciałowicz and Prof. Danuta Minta-Tworzowska. In the Electoral Commission for the election of the Committee of the VIII. term were: Prof. Marian Rębkowski, Prof. Paweł Valde-Nowak and Prof. Daniel Makowiecki. According to the decision of the authorities of the Polish Academy of Sciences, from this term of office, committees, teams and sections within a given committee could only be formed by members of the committee.

        In this term of office, there were 7 scientific teams: Scientific Team for Anthropology of Prehistory and the Middle Ages – chairman Prof. Stanisław Tabaczyński, member of the PAS; Scientific Team for Methods and Theory of Archaeological Research – chairwoman Prof. Danuta Minta-Tworzowska; Scientific Team for Beginnings of Civilization in the Middle East and North-East Africa – chairman Prof. Krzysztof Ciałowicz, Scientific Team for Research on Cultural Borderlands – chairman Prof. Aleksander Kośko, Scientific Team for Historical Archaeology – chairman Prof. Jerzy Piekalski, Scentific Team for Nordic Sciences – chairman Prof. Leszek Słupecki, Scientific Team for Protection of Archaeological Cultural Heritage – chairman Prof. Sylwester Czopek.

   Since 2012 The Presidium of the KNPiP held the function of the National Committee for Cooperation with the International Union of Pre- and Protohistorical Sciences (UISPP), affiliated to UNESCO. At the request of the Presidium, the plenary meeting of the Committee on 22 June 2012 entrusted the duty of representing the Presidium in contacts with the Union to Prof. Jacek Lech. On 13-14 May 2013, a meeting of the Executive Committee of the UISPP, co-organized by the Committee and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology Polish Academy of Sciences, was held at the Conference Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Jabłonna near Warsaw. It was attended by 35 people, including 5 from Poland (Prof. Jerzy Gąssowski, Prof. Jacek Lech, Prof. Romuald Schild, Prof. A. Buko, Prof. M. Trzciński). The main purpose of this meeting was to prepare the next UISPP Congress scheduled for 2014 and to discuss current issues. It also became an opportunity to present current problems of Polish archaeology.

    During this term of office, a new Regulations of the Committee for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences  were developed and approved in 2012. At the end of 2013, an assessment and ranking of Polish archaeological journals was also carried out. Its results were forwarded to Prof. J. Wilkin – Chairman of the Specialist Team for the evaluation of scientific journals of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Prof. K. Mikulski – Chairman of the Team for Categorization of Humanities and Social Sciences Journals, operating at Faculty I of the PAS, and to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Plenary sessions were organized to assess and discuss the current state of education for archaeologists.

   In December 2012, thanks to the cooperation of the Committee and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology PAS, and with the financial support of the European Commission (Culture Programme 2007-2013), a publication prepared by the Scientific Team for Anthropology of Prehistory and the Middle Ages was published. The book is available at: https://e-archaeology.org/przeszlosc-spoleczna-proba-konceptualizacji/ .In cooperation with the Institute of Archaeology University of Warsaw and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology PAS , a work by T. Nowakiewicz and A. Rzeszotarska-Nowakiewicz entitled: Jezioro Nidajno koło Czaszkowa na Mazurach: niezwykłe miejsce kultu z okresu późnej starożytności / Lake Nidajno near Czaszkowo in Masuria: a unique sacrificial site from Late Antiquity. It is available at: (PDF) Jezioro Nidajno koło Czaszkowa na Mazurach: niezwykłe miejsce kultu z okresu późnej starożytności. Lake Nidajno near Czaszkowo in Masuria: a unique sacrificial site from Late Antiquity, T. Nowakiewicz, A. Rzeszotarska-Nowakiewicz, Warszawa 2012 | Tomasz Nowakiewicz - Academia.edu .

    In the 8^th term (2016-2019), the Committee initially had 33 members, including 2 members of the PAS, and after the death of Prof. Leszek Kajzer – 32. The first plenary meeting took place on 20 January 2016 and the last on 22 November 2019. Prof. Bogusław Gediga was elected the Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Stanisław Tabaczyński, member of the PAS, was the Honorary Chairman, Vice-Presidents were: Prof. Sylwester Czopek and Prof. Paweł Valde-Nowak. Prof. Lucyna Domańska became the Scientific Secretary. In the Presidium were also: Prof. Andrzej Buko, corresp. member of the PAS, Prof. Krzysztof Ciałowicz, Prof. Danuta Minta-Tworzowska and Prof. Marzena Szmyt. The editor of the Prace KNPiP (Papers of the Committee) series was chosen Prof. Danuta Minta-Tworzowska. In the Electoral Commission were: Prof. Andrzej Kokowski, Prof. Aleksander Kośko and Prof. Andrzej Michałowski.

        During this term of office, the following scientific teams operated: for the Evaluation of Archaeological Journals – chairwoman Prof. D. Minta-Tworzowska; for Anthropology of Prehistory and the Middle Ages – chairman Prof. Stanisław Tabaczyński, member of the PAS; for Methods and Theory of Archaeological Research – chairwoman Prof. Danuta Minta-Tworzowska; for the Beginnings of Civilization in the Middle East and North-East Africa – chairman Prof. Krzysztof Ciałowicz; for Cultural Borderland Research – chaired by Prof. Marzena Szmyt; for Historical Archaeology – chairman Prof. Jerzy Piekalski; for the Protection of Archaeological Cultural Heritage – chairman Prof. Sławomir Kadrow; for Research on the Decline of Antiquity – chairman Prof. Andrzej Michałowski.

    Throughout VIII. term of office, the Committee pursued two main themes as part of a series of meetings-conferences: 1/ a topic proposed by Prof. A. Buko, corresp. member of the PAS: Polish archaeology of the post-war period on the European background, and 2/ a topic proposed by Prof. S. Czopek concerning interdisciplinary research in archaeology.

      In 2018, the Laurel Award of the Committee was established. The first winner of this Award was Prof. Michał Pawleta, who received it for his work: Przeszłość we współczesności. Studium metodologiczne kreowanej przeszłości w przestrzeni społecznej (Past in the Present. Methodological study of the created past in the social space). The Award was presented by the President of the PAS, Prof. J. Duszyński, at the plenary session of the Committee on 18 October 2018. The book is available at: Pawleta_M_Przeszlosc_2016_RC - 4kor.indd (amu.edu.pl) . 

     In 2016 and 2018, 2 books were published jointly with the Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk: Archeologia miast Pomorza w kontekście ziem polskich. Studia dedykowane pamięci Tadeusza Nawrolskiego (Archaeology of Pomeranian cities in the context of Polish lands. Studies dedicated to the memory of Tadeusz Nawrolski), eds. G. Nawrolska, H. Paner, J. Piekalski, E. Trawicka, and Estetyka w archeologii. Obrazowanie w pradziejach i starożytności (Aesthetics in Archaeology. Imaging in Prehistory and Antiquity), ed. D. Minta-Tworzowska.

    The Committee of the 9^th term (2020-2022) began its work in May 2020. Due to the pandemic, until November 2022, all plenary meetings and meetings of the Presidium were held on-line. Initially, the committee consisted of 34 people, including members of the Polish Academy of Sciences: Prof. Stanisław Tabaczyński, Prof. Andrzej Buko and Prof. Arkadiusz Marciniak. In 2020, Prof. Daniel Makowiecki was co-opted to the Committee, and Dr. Monika Stobiecka from the Academy of Young Scientists declared her accession to the Committee.

   The Chairman of the Committee was elected Prof. Sylwester Czopek, the Honorary Chairman – Prof. Stanisław Tabaczyński, member of the PAS (he held this position until his death, i.e. until 28 November 2020). At the plenary meeting on 2 June 2021, the members of the Committee decided to entrust this function to Prof. Bogusław Gediga. He was Honorary Chairman until his death on 18 October 2022. Prof. Paweł Valde-Nowak became the Vice-Chairman of the Committee, and in the Presidium are also Prof. Piotr Bieliński, Prof. Krzysztof Ciałowicz, Prof. Marian Rębkowski, Prof. Marzena Szmyt.  

    During the IXth term of office, four scientific commissions operated: for Anthropology of Prehistory and the Middle Ages – chairman Prof. Arkadiusz Marciniak; for Methods and Theory of Archaeological Research – chairwoman Prof. Danuta Minta-Tworzowska, on Archaeology of the new World - chairman Prof. Mariusz Ziółkowski, on Archaeology of Neolithic and Bronze Age in Tri-Seas Region - chairman Prof. Przemysław Makarowicz. In addition to the commissions, there were also four research teams: for Development of Discipline Archaeology - chairman Prof. Paweł Valde-Nowak, for Heritage Protection and Popularisation - chairman Prof. Marzena Szmyt, for Education of Scientific Staff - chairman Prof. Piotr Bieliński, for international Cooperation - chairman Prof. Krzystzof Ciałowicz.  

    During this term of office, the existing Regulations of the Committee have been changed. In 2021, open scientific meetings were inaugurated as part of the Doctoral Start initiative, during which researchers from different scientific centres present their PhD thesis. The first meeting took place on March 18, 2021. Its co-organizer (next to the Committee for Pre- and Protohistorical Sciences) was the Institute of Archaeology of Rzeszów University. The speaker was Dr. Marcin Burghardt, and the topic of his speech was: Social stratification of the population of the forest-steppe Dnieper region of the Scythian period. The second of the series of meetings took place on April 14, 2021 and was organized by the Committee and the Institute of Archaeology of the Jagiellonian University. During it, Dr. Marcin Czarnowicz presented a lecture entitled: Contacts Egypt–Middle East in the IVth thousand BC in the light of imports and imitations. The third meeting took place on May 12, 2021 and was organized in cooperation with the Institute of Archaeology of Rzeszów University; Dr. Piotr Mączyński presented the lecture on: Ways of using flint tools by the population of the Lublin-Volhynian culture on the basis of materials from the south-eastern Poland. The next meeting from this series took place on November 16, 2021. It was co-organized by the Committee, the Faculty of Archaeology of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of Gdańsk University; Dr. Mateusz Cwaliński, on the basis of his PhD dissertation, gave a lecture: Adriatic branch of the amber route in the Bronze Age. 

    In 2022, the Laurel Award of the Committee was awarded Prof. Anna Marciniak-Kajzer for the book: Things of the People of the Middle Ages. At home, Łódź 2020 and Prof. Tomasz Purowski for the book: From faience to glass. Contacts of the Polish lands with the main centers of civilization in the IInd-Ist thousand BC in the light of archaeometric research of glassy plastics, Warsaw 2019.