POD ZNAKIEM GRODZISK

The Island in Żółte on Lake Zarańskie Early Medieval Gateway into West Pomerania, 2014

2021

The aim of the study is to identify the environmental context of the archaeological settlement complex located near Grodzisk. The research area is located in the northeastern part of Poland, in the Podlaskie province, in Sokólski district near Suchowola. To determine the conditions of the environment in which the society of this Early Medieval settlement complex functioned, interdisciplinary research was applied. These were invasive and non-invasive methods (geological boreholes, archaeological excavations, electrofusion, magnetometr, and GPR prospecting). The analyes were supplemented with geomorphological and geological mapping of Quaternary sediments. Environmental analyes were used to construct detailed geological cross-sections, update the geomorphological map, verify the existing maps, and identify the environmental context of archaeological site. Geophysical analyes revealed the occurrence of anomalies that could be connected with the settlement from the Early and the Late Medieval. The area between the two large rivers of the region (Biebrza and Supraśl) has not been subject to wider archaeological discussion the arly , especially in aspect of interdisciplinary research Thanks to the obtained results, both sites in Grodzisk (site 1-hillfort, site 2-settlement) were verified in detail. Non-invasive recognition of their construction and the acquisition of dating material will consequently lead to more complete conservation protection.

Recherches Archéologiques SN 1, 2009

Archaeologia Historica Polona

The text discusses three different cases of rescue research carried out in recent years by the Institute of Archaeology the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń on fortified settlements in Bydgoszcz-Stare Miasto, Pawłówek and Bydgoszcz-Fordon (historic Wyszogród), in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodeship. These settlements played an important role in the early Middle Ages as centres of exchange and defence of the Greater Poland-Kuyavia borderland. Together with their immediate settlement base, they were subject to destruction processes to varying degrees. These destructions were the result of natural and human activities. The progressive degradation required wide-ranging archaeological investigations to be carried out on these sites and appropriate legal, administrative and conservation measures to be taken in order to secure the remaining relics.

Recherches Archéologiques SN 1, 2009

The following paper is focused on understanding and evaluation of the features from the site of Žinkovy – “Obrovo hradiště” (“Giant’s Hillfort”; West Bohemia). The hillfort holds evidence about Nynice Culture settlement during the Late Bronze Age. Another cultural activity comes from the Early Middle Ages. The site was surveyed by a total station, and the data were processed in GIS. The resulting 3D model refers to topography of the hillfort’s area, so new overall extent of the hillfort was also set from the measured data. Surface survey and its evaluation was also part of the research. Only a few finds fragments coming from the Early Middle Ages were found, with decor and character corresponding to the Middle Hillfort Period. There were several other sites and finds identified nearby Žinkovy village, which could be associated with existence of the hillfort during mentioned periods.

Ancient Rus '; proto-urban centre; 1Oth century; ancient field; flood-land area Gnezdovo archaeological complex is situated at the Western Russian border, about 1 3 km from one of most ancient Russian towns, Smolensk. It is known as one of the largest archaeological sites of the period of state formation in Eastern Europe. As early as at the beginning of the 20th century two hill-forts bordered by extensive non-fortified settlements were fixed in association with about 4000 mounds, the latter forming some strictly outlined cemeteries. The history of Gnezdovo studies commenced more than 125 years ago, but only in the late forties of the 20th century it had become rather regular and purposeful. The nucleus of the comple,. is comprised of the central hillfort surrounded by a settlement and cemetery with more than 3000 mounds, divided into two mound groups; a small mound group situated on the opposite Dnieper bank is also a part of the named nucleus. A few more mound groups concentrated around small settlement in the mouth of one of the Dnieper tributaries were revealed to the west of the central settlement. As a result of many years of studies it was established, that mounds and settlements were synchronous and nearly all were dated as belonging to the period from the 9-1 Oth century up to the beginning of the 11th century. The primary non-fortified settlement in the central part of the site gradually transformed into a fortified centre of the crafts and long-distance trade with the peak of its prosperity at the middle to second half of the 1Oth century. The excavations resulted in the finding of inhabited buildings and workshops, the latter related to bone, non-ferrous and ferrous metal processing. Defective and half-finished articles, crucibles, casting moulds being clustered in certain areas of the settlement comprised a significant part of findings. Gnezdovo jewellers manufactured different ornaments of Baltic and Scandinavian type; the peculiarities of Scandinavian and Slavonic blacksmith handicraft are distinctly traced in the products of iron processing (Eniosova 1999; Pushkina/ Rozanova 1992). The pottery produced by Gnezdovo craftsmen is characterised by typical Slavonic forms. The polyethnic and socially heterogeneous composition of the permanent Gnezdovo population is strictly documented by the materials of mound excavations. The cremation burials are predominant but a significant part of the mounds contain inhumations, with a good deal of chamber-graves (Zharnov 1992). The topographic separation of different ethnic burials was not observed. Ethnically peculiar decorations are also almost uniformly distributed within the settlement area. The role and significance of the polyethnic settlement controlling the route "from Varangians to the Greeks" is also demonstrated by the abundance of numismatic materials and the concentration of coin hoards dated predominantly to the middle of the 1Oth century and jewellery (Pushkina 2000, 215-224). The largest settlement area covering about 16 ha is also corresponding to the period of its prosperity. The size and general character of Gnezdovo archaeological site stands against a number of small rural settlements over the area of 2-3 ha associated with a few dozens of mounds. The monument scale and materials obtained after its study allow us to compare it in terms of several criteria with such northern European proto-urban centre as, for example, Birka (Bulkin/ Lebedev 1974).