In 2016, the State Archaeological Museum received 44 artefacts from the cemetery at Żukowo, obtained as a result of unsanctioned searches. That same year, geophysical surveys and surface prospection using metal detectors were conducted at the site. Their goal was to map the borders of the cemetery and select spots to be excavated in the future. The geophysical surveys did not reveal clear zones where anthropogenic deposits could be expected.

Surface prospection yielded 34 items dating to the Early Middle Ages (Fig. 8). The most important finds, as such objects were previously unknown to appear at the site, include elements of weaponry: a probably 11th-century spearhead of Nadolski type IV (Fig. 9), an axe of Kotowicz type IIB.5.20 (Fig. 10:63) dating to the period from the second half of the 10th (?) century to the 12th or even 13th century, and an axe of Kotowicz type IIB.5.2 (Fig. 10:47) dating to the period between the 11th and 13th centuries, although the oldest axes of this type may have appeared as early as the second half of the 10th century.

The other early medieval items include fragments of five knives (Fig. 11:61.69.73.95.97), a fragment of a rectangular fire striker (Fig. 11:2) representing a type that appears at cemeteries with graves in stone casings no earlier than the end of the 11th century, and iron elements of stave vessels (Fig. 9, 12:1.62.64). In Mazovia, such vessels were deposited as grave goods from the second half of the 11th century to the third quarter of the 12th century.

A large artefact group consists of 16 temple rings (Fig. 13), made of silver, copper alloys (including silver-plated ones) and copper. Thirteen rings represent Musianowicz type III, including two of variant IIIc (Fig. 13:5.67). The rings belong to one of two size groups (as per Hanna Kóčka-Krenz’s classification): type A, with an internal diameter not exceeding 2.0 cm (mainly from the second half of the 10th century to the mid-13th century) (Fig. 13:5.13.20.49.57.67.82.85.106), and type B, with an internal diameter measuring from 2.0 to 5.0 cm (11th to 13th century) (Fig. 13:21.29.86–90). Another find—an oval, silver bead—has a broad chronology (Fig. 14), as similar artefacts appeared from the end of the 9th century to the first half of the 13th century, while a copper-alloy strap ring (Fig. 15:74) has analogies among artefacts dated from the second half of the 10th century to the 13th century and even the beginning of the 14th century.

Other important finds are fragments of three silver cross denarii (Table 1): type II CNP (?) dated to the first half of the 11th century (alternatively, type IV CNP from the years 1015–1020) (Fig. 15:46), late type VI CNP (or its imitation) dated to the end of the 11th – beginning of the 12th century (Fig. 15:50) and a probable German denarius from the 11th century (Fig. 15:51).

The surveys confirmed the multicultural character of the site. They also revealed three Roman Period artefacts (Fig. 6, 7): a denarius of Vespasian (69–70 CE), a denarius of Antoninus Pius (150–151 CE) and a copper-alloy brooch of Almgren type 96 (phase B2/C1–C1a).

A large group of artefacts consists of late medieval, early modern and 19th-century items (Fig. 16): a copper-alloy ring (15th c. – 1st quarter of the 17th c.; Fig. 15:105), a copper-alloy ring engraved with letters HB (before the end of the 19th c.; Fig. 15:77), three fragments of iron heel plates (first half of the 18th c. – early 20th c.; Fig. 15:66.78.96), lead balls —for a musket (17th–19th c.; Fig. 17:24) and black powder guns (19th c.; Fig. 17:30), a fragment of a copper-alloy book clasp (mid-16thc. – 18th c.; Fig. 17:52), a copper-alloy thimble (early modern period or the 19th c.; Fig. 17:19), a copper-alloy pipe cap (19th c.; Fig. 17:75), a copper-alloy pocket watch component (19th c.; Fig. 17:3) and a copper-alloy button (18th–19th c.; Fig. 17:92).

Another large artefact group comprises coins (Table 1): a fake (?) Jagiellonian denarius, probably issue of Władysław III of Poland (1434–1444; Fig. 19:32), twelve groats of John II Casimir (1659–1667; Fig. 19:15–17.25–28.72.76.83.84.104), a fragment of a Russian copper two-kopeck coin (1867–1881; Fig. 19:33), and an unidentified copper coin (Fig. 19:108).

The function or dating of 34 artefacts could not be determined (Fig. 20): forged nails (Fig. 21) and other iron objects (Figs. 22 &23), copper-alloy plates (Fig. 24:35.37.102) and an object shaped from iron wires twisted together (Fig. 24:91a.b).

The results of the research conducted to date made it possible to detect the borders of the early medieval cemetery to the north, west and probably also south of the area excavated in 1955. Based on the few artefacts uncovered during the exploration in 2016 and 2017, the southern edge of the cemetery can be expected to be found in the area of ares 22–62.

The concentration of artefacts (Fig. 8) suggests that the cemetery likely stretched in the eastern and northeastern direction, and its border might be located within ares 72–76, perhaps even farther to the east, in are 83, where a single grave of unknown dating was uncovered in 2017.

The test excavations of 2017 (K. Chmielewska 2017), which partially covered the area of anomalies detected in the course of the electrical resistivity surveys (Fig. 26), revealed only structures of natural origin.

The largest number of early medieval artefacts, including the silver denarii, type-IV spearhead, axes of type IIB5.2 and temple rings with a diameter of less than 2.0 cm, were concentrated in ares 45, 55, 56 and 65, and, to a lesser extent, in the neighbouring ares (Fig. 8). It is possible that the area described was the oldest part of the cemetery. A smaller concentration of artefacts, including the temple rings with a diameter of over 2 cm, was found mainly in are 63 (Fig. 8), where the location of the later-dating part of the cemetery could be expected. The early medieval cemetery at Żukowo may have been in use from around the mid-11th century, and the end of its functioning was probably linked to the establishment of St. Lawrence’s Church and the founding of a church cemetery, which took place before 1247. The second phase of the cemetery’s operation was at the end of the 15th century or the first half of the 16th century, when children were buried there inside vessels.

The hill was used as a cemetery as early as the Bronze Age. Perhaps, some of the finds should be associated with the Pomeranian Culture or the Przeworsk Culture of the La Tène Period. The site also yielded artefacts dating to the Roman Iron Age.