Barrows from 1.5 thousand years ago were discovered in the Bialowieza Forest. years
Researchers from the Institute of Archaeology of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University (IA UKSW) in Warsaw used airborne laser scanning (ALS) techniques. It was thanks to them that it was possible to make discoveries in a difficult to access archaeologistoin the area, which is a forest.
– Among other things, we discovered a large cluster of barrowsow tentatively dated to the period of influenceoIn the Roman period (between the 1st and 5th centuries of the.), a fortified settlement, traces of pol cultivated land and numerous mounds, from whichorych part were the remnants of industrial activity in the forest, m.in. tarns and mielers – Roman Szlazak, a doctoral student at IA UKSW in Warsaw, said in an interview with the Polish Press Agency.
Archaeologists will not be able to carry out excavations in the vicinity of the finds. This is due to stricter regulations for the protection of natural heritage in the Bialowieza National Park and adjacent reserveow. – We visited the sites selected thanks to ALS in the field. After visual inspection, we were able to determine their initial function and chronology – stated Dr. Joanna Wawrzeniuk of IA UKSW, whoora is the mainoThe main coordinator of the project.
Archaeologists say the barrows were built by communities of the Wielbark culture, ktorą are associated with the people of Gotow. Researchers found clusters of barrowsoin pol of the northern part of the Bialowieza National Park. Thanks to the scanning, one can clearly see the raised strips of land, whichore may be former boundaries separating agricultural fields.
The remains of a fortified settlement were also found. It is located on the banks of the Eagle RiveroThe facility was built on a circular plan with a diameter of 30 metersow. It is surrounded by a small, earthen embankment, whichory currently reaches a height of about poł meter. Inside the fortifications, archaeologists found remains of vessels and fragments of flint tools.
The fortified settlement was erected in a strategic location – on a hill surrounded by swamps. Hence, researchers believe it was defensive in nature. Remnants of dykes, mounds and traces of p were found in the areaol agricultural.
The study, which has just begun, is expected to last three years. They are funded by the National Science Center under the project "Cultural and natural heritage of the Bialowieza Forest".
Palynological (regimental) studies were carried out by a team ofoł prof. Dr. hab. Małgorzata Latałowa (Laboratory of Paleoecology and Archaeobotany, Department of Plant Ecology, University of Gdańsk) with the help of an employee of theoat the Institute of Mammalian Biologyoat the Polish Academy of Sciences. Thanks to them, it was found that the forest area covered by the study was rather sporadically inhabited by humans.