One of the key figures of the ancient world was the shaman. According to ancient accounts, these magic practitioners helped shape the first human societies. As wise as they were feared, the shaman mystics were a high-rank figure in the human society, capable of winning battles, de-cursing allies, they could heal physical wounds and the soul, but also communicate with animal spirits and even shapeshift.

While all this knowledge may seem loose out of fantasy books, there’s a great chance that shamans were capable of performing all of the above feats. Although records of these mystics often comes from the 16th century and mostly referrers to Asia as their last known refuge, it’s likely that they did their bidding all over the world. At least that’s what this ancient shaman site from Europe indicates.

In 2012, archaeologists uncovered an unusual site near Lake Świdwie, in north-western Poland. After meticulously analyzing the settlement using modern techniques, the team of researchers concluded that it dated back more than 9,000 years.

One of the most notable finds in the area consisted in a circular design of approx. 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 caught the attention of the Polish archaeologists. 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.

This discovery is unique, as other shaman settlements were only found in Siberia and Mongolia. It apparently served as a sanctuary from where the spirit practitioners engaged into rituals and out-of-body experiences which are now out of reach for modern science or written history.

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.

“Sacrificial offerings were an expression of belief in supernatural powers and forces of nature”, said Prof. Tadeusz Galiński from the Szczecin branch of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology PAS. “They were made on behalf of all residents and members of the group with the participation of the spiritual leader.”

A rich collection of different stones with supra-natural properties were 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.

“This extraordinary rich collection of sotnes is unique among the previously known Mesolithic sites, located both within the vast European Plain, and in the zone of the foothills and highlands,” explained Prof. Galiński.

“These stones had to be brought to the site in Bolków, and not only from the surrounding area, but also from distant lands, the best example of which is hornfels, which occurs closest in the Giant Mountains and the Harz Mountains.”

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.

The 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.

Furthermore, is it possible that the ancient-shaman myths were something more than fiction? Did we once have the ability to commune with nature, animals and spirits alike? Was there an ancient culture of mystic practitioners who was brutally wiped-out in the process of imposing certain religious and political aspects?

Whatever the case, certain questions remain to be answered, and hopefully time will settle the matters straight. Well, at least for those who understand that alternative and forbidden history is the key to obtaining true knowledge. There is no need for an official explanation when we can draw our own conclusion from the abundance of archeological finds that keep contradicting with what elites have imposed as facts so far.

Earth We Are One