 Reconstructed gateway at Biskupin | |
  Shown within Poland | |
| Location | Biskupin,Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship,Poland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 52°47′18″N17°44′40″E / 52.78833°N 17.74444°E /52.78833; 17.74444 |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Material | Wood |
| Founded | c.747–748 BC[1] |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | In ruins, partially reconstructed |
| Designated | 1994-09-08 |
| Reference no. | M.P. z 1994 r. Nr 50, poz. 412[2] |
Biskupin (Polish pronunciation:[bisˈkupin]) is anarchaeological site and a life-size model of a lateBronze Age fortifiedsettlement in north-centralPoland that also serves as anarchaeological open-air museum. When first discovered it was thought to be early evidence of aWest Slavic settlement, but archaeologists later confirmed it belonged to the Biskupin group of theLusatian culture from the 8th century BC.
The Museum is situated on a marshy peninsula inLake Biskupin [pl], ca. 90 kilometres (56 miles) northeast ofPoznań and 8 km (5 mi) south of the small town ofŻnin. In the years 1956–2000, it was a division of theNational Museum of Archaeology inWarsaw. After thePolish local government reforms of 1998, Biskupin was granted the status of an independent institution known as the Archeological Museum in Biskupin.[3]
The site is one of Poland's official nationalHistoric Monuments (Pomnik historii), as designated September 16, 1994, and tracked by theNational Heritage Board of Poland.[4][5]
In 1933, schoolteacher Walenty Szwajcer and his students discovered remains of a Bronze Age fort/settlement in Wielkopolska Region (Greater Poland), and the discovery became famous overnight.[6] The site was excavated from 1934 onwards by the team fromPoznań University, led by archaeologistsJózef Kostrzewski (1885–1969) and Zdzisław Rajewski (1907–1974).[7] The first report was published in 1936. By the beginning of 1939, ca. 2,500 m2 (26,909.78 sq ft) had been excavated. Biskupin soon became famous, attracting numerous distinguished guests, including officials of theMarshal Piłsudski government, members of the military, and high churchmen such as theprimate of Poland. The site soon became part of Polish national consciousness, the symbol of achievements of the Slavonic forebears in prehistoric times. It was called the "PolishPompeii" or "PolishHerculaneum".[8] The existence of a prehistoric fortress, 70 km (43 mi) from the German border, was used to show that the prehistoric "Poles" had held their own against foreign invaders and plunderers as early as the late Bronze Age. Biskupin came to feature in paintings and popular novels.
When the Germans occupied Poland in the autumn of 1939, Biskupin was renamed "Urstädt".[9] In 1940, excavations were resumed by theSS-Ahnenerbe until 1942. When the Germans were forced to retreat they flooded the site hoping to destroy it, but—ironically—it led to very good preservation of the ancient timbers. Excavations were resumed by Polish archaeologists after the war and continued until 1974.[10]
There are two settlement periods at Biskupin, which was located in the middle of a lake but is now situated on a peninsula, that follow each other without a break. Both settlements were laid out on a rectangular grid with eleven streets that are three metres (9.8 ft) wide. The older settlement from the late Bronze Age was established on a slightly wet island of over 2hectares (4.9acres)[11] and consisted of around 102-106 oak and pine log-houses[12] that were of similar layout, measuring ca. 8 by 10 metres (26 by 33 feet) each. They consisted of two chambers and an open entrance-area. These houses were designed to accommodate 10–12 persons. An open hearth was located in the centre of the biggest room. There are no larger houses that could indicate social stratification. Because of the damp, boggy ground the streets were covered with wooden planks.
The settlement was surrounded by a tall wooden wall, or palisade, set on a rampart made up of both wood and earth. The rampart was constructed of oak trunks that form boxes filled with earth. The rampart is more than 450 metres (1,480 feet) long and accompanied by a wooden breakwater in the lake. 6,000 to 8,000cubic metres (210,000 to 280,000cubic feet) of wood was used in the construction of the rampart.[13]
The Biskupin archeological site was featured on stamps issued by thePolish Post in 1966 and 1978.
The settlement served as a setting in a number of films includingJerzy Hoffman's 1998historical dramaWith Fire and Sword[14] and 2003 historical filmAn Ancient Tale: When the Sun Was a God.[15]
In August 2018, the Biskupin settlement was celebrated with aGoogle doodle on the 85th anniversary of the discovery of the site.[16]
The settlement at Biskupin belongs to theHallstatt C and D periods (late Bronze Age/early Iron Age, 800–650 BC and 650–475 BC). There are fourradiocarbon dates from Biskupin (all B.C.):
However,dendrochronological analysis provided more accurate dating. It proved that oak wood used in the construction of the settlement was cut down between 747–722 B.C. Over half of the wood used was cut during the winter of 748/747 B.C.[17][18]
In 1936 the first life-size model (open-air museum) was built on the peninsula, but it was intentionally destroyed by retreating Germans near the end of World War II. After the war it was rebuilt, and the ramparts and one full street with houses on both sides were also added.
In the 2000s, a film prop "medieval" timber castle was constructed on a part of the original site.
_-_kultura_%25C5%2582u%25C5%25BCycka.JPG) |
| Prehistory and protohistory of Poland |
|---|
| Chronology |
| Stone Age Bronze and Iron Age Antiquity Early Middle Ages |
| Topics |
| Lusatian culture Biskupin Oksywie culture Wielbark culture Przeworsk culture Polish tribes |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
