The search for Nicolaus Copernicus´s tomb

Jerzy Gassowski (Ed.).

Editorial: The Pultusk Academy of Humanities
The search for Nicolaus Copernicus´s tomb

Jerzy Gassowski (Editor)
The Pultusk Academy of Humanities
Fundacia Kronenberga


This volume is the secod edition in English of the yearbook publiched by the Baltic Research Centre of the Aleksander Gieysztor School of Humanities in Pultusk (The Pultusk Academy of Humanities hereafter) is dedicated to a single, highly important, scientific event: it presents two seasons of archaeological excavation (2004 and 2005) aimed at discovering the grave and skeleton of Nicolaus Copernicus and identifying them as such. The research bought together scholars from a wide array of sciences and research institutions, under the leadership of the Institute of Anthropology and Archaeology of the Pultusk Scholl of Humanities. The key role in the research was played by Professor Karol Piasecki, a physical anthropologist from both Warsaw and Szczecin univiersities. His role was crucial in the final identification of the skull. Also very helpful was the collaboration of Piotr Zambrycki, MA, an expert in ancient stonework, from the Academy or Arts in Warsaw. During the first year of excavation, an archaeologist from the National Centre for Historical Monument Studies and Documentation, Karol Czajkowski, MA, undertook the most modern recordings of the excavated site. The excavation was preceded by a type of “x-ray” penetration of the space below the cathedral stones. This was undertaken by the Geophysical Exploration Company and its team led by Miroslaw Musiatewicz. The whole surface of the church floor was “x-rayed” by georadar (GPR). This helped locate all the places where the earth below the floor had benn moved in the past, namely were the graves were located. Very important help was also offered by the specialised building and preservation company “Arkada”, under the direction of Krysztof Semeniuk and his father Jan Semeniuk. Last, but not least, of enormous importance was the work of senior commisioner Dariusz Zajdel, MA, from the Police Headquarters´s Central Forensic Laboratory. His contribution took the form of reconstruction of Copernicu´s head and face. Almost all the expenses of the archaeological research were covered by the Pultusk Academy of Humanities, with some support from Professor Konrad Jazdzewski Foundation for Archaeological Research in Lodz.

Índice

Introduction

Jerzy Gassowski, Beata Jurkiewicz
The search for Nicolaus Copernicu´s tom

Karol Piasecki, Dariusz Zajdel
Anthropological Research in Frombork. Tomb no. 13 Reconstruction of the appearance of the head on the basis of the skull

Grzegorz Pacanowski, Mikolaj Musiatewicz
The application of ground penetratin radar in archaeological prospecting: the example of Frombork Cathedral

Anna Drazkowska
Devotional articles found in Frombork. A silk burial dress from the mid-18th century found in Frombork

Karol Czajkowski, Tadeusz Morysinski
The application of modern documentation systems during research at Frombork Cathedral in 2004

Jerzy Sikorski
Nicolaus Copernicus´s tomb in the Warmia Bishops´s Cathedral in Frombork in the light of the chapter´s burial practises in the 15th to the 18th centuries

Alojzy Szore
The Warmia chapter´s session minutes from the times of Nicolaus Copernicus

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