Prehistoric human in the Koźle Region
Prehistoric human in the Koźle Region
Prehistory is the period describing the history of humankind from its appearance on the Earth until the emergence of writing. The oldest species that could be a human ancestor is Sahelanthropus Tchadensis, the remains of which date back to 7-6 million years ago. It was succeeded by the Australopithecus, dating back about 4.2 million years ago. The species that may be classified as Homo include: Homo habilis (circa 2.6 million years ago), Homo erectus (circa 1.8 million years ago), and, finally, Homo sapiens (circa 170 thousand years ago). Humans appeared on Polish lands, and therefore in Silesia as well, about half a million years ago, and their appearance marked the beginning of the so-called Old Stone Age, that is, the Paleolithic. The oldest traces of Paleolithic humans were discovered in Silesia – in Trzebnica near Wrocław and Rusko near Strzegom. The traces of the functioning of a Paleolithic community in the Koźle Region were recorded in, among others, Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Większyce, Gościęcin, Jakubowice, Grudynia Wielka, Pawłowiczki, Bierawa, Roszowicki Las, Przewóz, Dzielawy, Grzędzin, Łaniec, Podlesie, Dzielnica, and Miejsce Odrzańskie.
About 10,000 years ago, The Old Stone Age gave way to the Middle Stone Age, also known as the Mesolithic. During this period, humans kept using tools made mainly of rock and horn; however, visible progress in the technology of making these tools occurred. The works from this period are often smaller and made with more precision. The traces of the functioning of a Mesolithic community in the Koźle Region were discovered in, among others, Mechnica, Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Grabówka, Cisek, Długomiłowice, Gierałtowice, Ligota Wielka, Gościęcin, Borzysławice, Grudnia Wielka, Dzielnica, Ciężkowice, Podlesie, Miejsce Odrzańskie, and Łaniec.
Circa 5400 years before Christ, the Young Stone Age, that is, the Neolithic, began in Silesia. The traces of the community from this period were discovered in nearly the entire territory of Kędzierzyn-Koźle County, that is, in Większyce, Naczęsławice, Łężce, Gierałtowice, Cisek, Naczysławki, Sukowice, Grudynia Wielka, Roszowicki Las, Roszowice, Podlesie, Pawłowiczki, Radoszowy, Witosławice, Dzielnica, Łany, Błażejowice, and Miejsce Odrzańskie. On our terrains, the Iron Age began about 500 years before Christ and lasted until the Baptism of Mieszko I in the year 966. Since then, the Middle Ages began in Poland.
