The site is a unique feature in the landscape of the Hrubieszów valley.

Location and description

The barrow cemetery is located in the north-eastern part of the village, among the houses and farms, east of the main road leading from Ślipcze towards Hrubieszów, at the distance of between approximately 250 metres (barrow no. 1) and 350 metres (barrow no. 3) towards the west from the Bug riverbed and the state border. The burial ground is located on the floodplain terrace of the Bug river valley.

The barrow cemetery consists of three tumuli, clearly visible in the surrounding terrain. These tumuli are located at a distance of about 100 metres from one another, on plots of land owned by various individuals; for this reason, the Regional Monument Inspector considered each mound to be a separate archaeological site, even though the inscription into the register of monuments for the Lublin province covers all three. The tumulus located on site no. 34 is situated on lot no. 22, with the barrows marked as forming part of sites no. 35 and 36 being located on lots no. 22[?] and 118/1 respectively. All burial mounds are preserved in good condition. The burial mound on site no. 34, known as the “Chrobry Mound”, is located in the middle of an arable field, with the mound itself not being used for agricultural purposes. It is overgrown with grass, with a single, self-sown tree growing on its northern edge. When viewed from above, the mound is oval in shape, with a diameter of about 10 metres, standing at 3.20 metres tall. At the top of the tumulus there are traces of three recent illegal excavations with the depth of between 20 and 40 centimetres, their dimensions being 40 x 20 centimetres. The tumulus located on site no. 35 is located on a piece of agricultural wasteland, near the fence, its surface being covered with grass. When viewed from above, the mound is oval in shape, with a diameter of about 9 metres, standing at 3.20 metres tall. The tumulus located on site no. 36 is situated in a private garden at a distance of about 2 metres north of the house. It is slightly ovoid in shape, its maximum diameter being 9 metres, while its height reaches 1.7 metres; the tumulus features a truncated, quadrangular top section, damaged slightly by four pits dug by treasure hunters many years ago. The mound is not being used for any practical purposes; it is overgrown with grass and surrounded by a wire fence with a lockable wicket gate. The burial mounds were tentatively dated as originating from the period of Roman influences or from the early Middle Ages.

History

Based on general observations concerning the form of the mounds it has been tentatively determined that the barrow cemetery in Ślipcze may originate either from the period of Roman influence or from the early Middle Ages. The first mentions of the mounds in the literature on the subject was made by Stefan Nosek in 1957. The state of preservation of the mounds is considered to be good. The site has not been targeted by illegal digging in recent times.

Condition and results of archaeological research

No excavations have been made so far on either of the three tumuli. A surface survey within the framework of the “Archaeological Picture of Poland” research programme was carried out in 1978 by the Archaeology Department of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin under the direction of Andrzej Kokowski and Sławomir Jastrzębski.

The measurements of the mounds were taken by K. Bęcek and J. Smok in 1985 (sites no. 34 and 35) as well as by Józef Niedźwiedź in 1987 (site no. 36).

The subsequent surface surveys within the framework of the “Archaeological Picture of Poland” research programme and ad-hoc reconnaissance investigations of the earthen structure of the mounds and the immediate surroundings thereof (including the illegal excavations made at an earlier date by persons unknown), conducted in a systematic manner by the employees of the Regional Monuments Protection Office in Lublin (Zamość branch office), did not reveal the presence of any movable archaeological artefacts. The only artefacts unearthed so far originate from site no. 35, where the owner of the land discovered ancient Roman coins (denarii) from the times of Vespasianus and Antoninus Pius.

Limited access to the historic site. Viewing of the barrows is only possible by arrangement with the owners of the respective sites.

compiled by Ewa Prusicka, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Lublin, 22-09-2015.

Bibliography

• Nosek S., Materiały do badań nad historią starożytną i wczesnośredniowieczną międzyrzecza Wisły i Bugu, “Annales UMCS, vol. VI, sec. F, 1951 (1957), p. 362
• Niedźwiedź J., Koman W., Okolice Hrubieszowa w pradziejach i we wczesnym średniowieczu, Hrubieszów 1996, p. 83.
• Prusicka - Kołcon E., Niedźwiedź J., Ślipcze stan. 34, 35 i 36, gm. Uchanie [in:] Inwentaryzacja kurhanów powiatu hrubieszowskiego. Katalog. Zamość 2006 (typescript available at the archive of the Regional Monuments Protection Office, Zamość Branch).