The Mierzanowice culture appeared in the area of the upper and middle basin of the Vistula, during the Early Bronze Age.

This entity was part of the pre-carpathian sphere epicorded cultures and it has been divided into three local groups: Samborzecka, Iwanowicka and Pleszowska.

[1] The initial phases of the culture are characterized by a small number of burials, seasonal settlements and single artifacts.

The discovery in Szarbia Zwierzyniecka allowed for a certain "rejuvenation" of the Mierzanowice culture as a result of the distinction of its late phase called szarbiańska.

Human remains were put into oval or rectangular burial pits or in coffins made of wooden logs.

Proto-Mierzanowice appears with the arrival of Bell Beakers in the west part of Lesser Poland, around 2400–2300 BC, possibly representing an infiltration of groups rather than a massive migration.

[5] Shell beads, bone pendants, ceramic vessels and other artifacts found in the graves indicate a rich and complex culture.