A Neolithic Jewel of Kujawy

The 5,500-year-old megalithic tombs in the Wietrzychowice Cultural Park (Włocławek County), which predate the Egyptian pyramids, are to come under the stewardship of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Regional Self-Government. Marshal Piotr Całbecki has announced the establishment of a new cultural institution dedicated to the management, preservation and promotion of this archaeological treasure of Kuyavia.

“This site, located on the edge of our region, still holds many secrets and offers excellent opportunities for further scientific research. The megalithic tombs are an important part of Kujawy’s historical identity. We want this remarkable trace of prehistoric settlement to become as widely recognized as Biskupin, Poland’s best-known archaeological museum,” said Marshal Piotr Całbecki.

Preliminary plans envisage the creation of a regional self-government institution to be managed by the archaeologists currently conducting research at the Wietrzychowice Cultural Park. The project also includes the construction of a museum pavilion on the site. The detailed concept and organizational model of the new institution will be developed jointly by the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Regional Self-Government, the Municipality of Izbica Kujawska and the archaeological team.

There are currently five megalithic tombs in Wietrzychowice and one more in the nearby village of Gaj. They were erected during the Neolithic period by farming communities engaged in the cultivation of cereals, flax and poppies, as well as animal husbandry.

The earthen barrows, surrounded by large boulders, have the shape of elongated trapezoids measuring approximately 10 metres in width and extending to more than 100 metres in length. Burial chambers were located at the wider end of each tomb, where the deceased were laid to rest.

Archaeological investigations of the Neolithic tombs began in the 1930s under Professor Konrad Jażdżewski of the State Archaeological Museum in Warsaw. The current research is led by Dr Piotr Papiernik of the Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum in Łódź. Since 2006, the cemetery complex has been managed by the Wietrzychowice Cultural Park.

On Monday, 20 July, the megalithic tombs in Wietrzychowice were visited by Marshal Piotr Całbecki, Member of the Regional Executive Board Marek Wojtkowski, Regional Councillor Sławomir Kopyść and Member of Parliament Krystian Łuczak. During the visit, Dr Piotr Papiernik presented the history and significance of the site.

The Kujawsko-Pomorskie Regional Self-Government operates seventeen cultural institutions, including the Archaeological Museum in Biskupin, the region’s best-known archaeological museum, where visitors can also learn about life during the Neolithic period.

Beata Krzemińska
Spokesperson of the Marshal’s Office

29 July 2026