Archaeologists have uncovered medieval children’s graves more than two meters below the main entrance to St. Adalbert’s Church (Kościół św. Wojciecha) in Bytom, southern Poland. Four skeletons were found at the site.
Jarosław Święcicki, the archaeologist supervising the excavation — affiliated with the Scientific Association of Polish Archaeologists and the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom — reported that, in the area of the children’s graves, researchers discovered copper and bronze ornaments, 13th–14th century ceramics, a structure made of stone blocks, and a layer of charred remains.
“Detailed anthropological studies… should give us an answer to the period which the skeletons come from, but also what raw material the stone blocks are made of,” Święcicki said.
This is not the first discovery at the site. In 2024, during archaeological work in Plac Klasztorny (Monastery Square), adjacent to the church, excavators found two skeletons, late-Gothic and Renaissance stove tiles, iron nails, and ceramic vessels. In 2025, further investigations revealed 14th-century walls and traces of renovations to the church dating back to the 15th century.
The brick structure of St. Adalbert’s Church was originally built in the mid-15th century, though its current form is the result of 18th-century Baroque renovations. Notably, the church retains two Baroque statues of Saints Peter and Paul from the 18th century.
Currently, the church is undergoing renovations that include work being carried out on its facade, chapel, floors, windows and doors.
The church, built in the mid-15th century, is undergoing renovations. Photo: Facebook/Miasto Bytom
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