New Shaman Sanctuary Discovered in Europe

Archaeological findings related to shamanism aren't very common to find in European ground. It's easier to come by such findings in the most inhospitable regions where shamanic practices lasted several thousands of years till or modern era, and in some places these spiritual traditional practices are still alive. When it comes to Europe, with major historical changes not only in society but also in the landscape, history itself and religion, the shamanic practices were long forgotten and the place where once shamans worked, were brought down and completly destroyed.

However, archaeologists uncovered an unusual site near Lake Świdwie, in north-western Poland, and this might be one of the major European findings related to the shamanic pratices of the old European peoples. After analyzing the settlement, the team of researchers concluded that it dated back to 9,000 years ago.

One of the most notable findings in this area consisted in a circular design of approximatly 6 meters in diameter where the foundation of strange structures was still visible. A trapezoid building with poles, encircled by an arch of rocks aligned at equal distances from each other. Within this ancient design, sharpen yew sticks were piercing through the ground so that they formed the shape of the Big Dipper – a fragment of the constellation Ursa Major, also known as The Great Bear.

Other enigmatic pieces of wood used in smoking rituals, bark, herbaceous plants and animal bones presumably used as offerings and for driving off evil spirits before a ritual were also unearthed at the site.

A rich collection of different stones with, supposadly, supra-natural properties were also found inside the sanctuary. Among them were syenite, diorite, granite, quartzite, sandstone, gneiss, and even unusual rocks for the Pomerania area such as red marble and green syenite. However, the discovery of black amber and pumice – an extrusive volcanic rock obtained when molten lava is spit out of a volcano – topped off the charts of the discovery list.

The site furtherly proved to be rich in items mostly made of wood such as pendants and wood masks used in the mystic rituals. Thanks to the favorable conditions of the area, all the unearthed pieces were preserved in perfect shape.

As I've said before, this discovery is unique, as other shamanic settlements closer to Europe were only found in Siberia and Mongolia. Apparently this settlement served as a sanctuary from where the spirit-workers engaged into rituals and out-of-body experiences, through trance, frenetic dancing, induced substances and so on.

This discovery adds another dimension to our written history because it proves that shamans once ruled the plains of Europe before Christianity and other religions rushed in and wiped these timeworn culture. It also demonstrates that ancient Europeans had knowledgeable advisors who could read the stars, use advanced remedies from nature, and who knows what other ancient techniques that are now forever lost.