Results of integrated geoarchaeological prospection of unique Iron Age hillfort located on Radomno Lake island in north-eastern Poland
Journal Title: Studia Quaternaria - Year 2018, Vol 35, Issue 1
Abstract
Archaeology of northeastern Poland has been poorly recognized owing to vast forest areas and numerous lakes. This particularly refers to the Warmian-Masurian Voivodship, where forest covers over 30% of its area. Prospection of for-ested areas has become possible in Poland just over 10 years ago with the Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR). These techniques allow obtaining 3-D documentation of recognized and also unknown archaeological sites in the forested areas. Thanks to ALS/LiDAR prospection a significant number of archaeological structures have been identified also in the Warmia and Masuria regions. Among them oval-shaped hillforts, surrounded by perfectly spaced concentric moats and ramparts, located mainly on islands and in wetland areas, have raised particular attention. Based on field prospection and results of preliminary excavations, these objects have been considered as Iron Age hillforts. One of the best preserved objects of this type is on the Radomno Lake island, located several kilometres to the south of Iława town. Integrated geoarchaeological prospection of this hillfort emphasized benefits of using LiDAR in combination with results of geophysical prospection and shallow drillings. Applied methodology enabled to document the hillfort shape, and to study its geological structure and stratigraphy. The results clearly indicate that integration of LiDAR data with geophysical prospecting is indispensable in future archaeological surveys. It is a perfect tool for remote sensing of archaeological objects in forest areas, so far not available for traditional archaeology.
Authors and Affiliations
Fabian Welc, Jerzy Nitychoruk, RAFAŁ SOLECKI, Kamil Rabiega, Jacek Wysocki
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP594225
- DOI 10.2478/squa-2018-0004
- Views 48
- Downloads 0
Geological and geomorphologic conditions and traces of prehistoric and historic human settlements in the vicinity of Ulów (Roztocze region, southeastern Poland)
The paper presents determinants of location of the multicultural complex of archaeological sites in the vicinity of Ulów, in the Central Roztocze upland region in south-eastern Poland. Archaeological research revealed th...
PALYNOLOGY AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF LATE VISTULIAN AND EARLY HOLOCENE SITES IN LUBUSKIE LAKE DISTRICT, WESTERN POLAND
The Lubuskie Lake District played an important part in recolonisation of the Polish Plain due to its location and the character of the terrain. Despite that, it is and especially its northern part, poorly explored regard...
PRELIMINARY REPORT ON ENGINEERING PROPERTIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE OF ANCIENT MUD BRICKS FROM THE TELL EL-RETABA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE IN THE NILE DELTA
The archaeological site Tell el-Retaba in north-eastern Egypt, about 35 km to the west of Ismailia city, is located in the middle of Wadi Tumilat, a shallow valley running from the Nile Delta to the Bitter Lakes, along w...
Preliminary back-analysis of the height of mud brick fortifications based on geoarchaeological data at Tell el-Retaba site in Egypt
The Tell el-Retaba archaeological site is located at Wadi Tumilat, a shallow valley running from the Nile Delta to the Bitter Lakes. In ancient times, a route connecting Egypt with Syria-Palestine ran across the site. In...
HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT AND TERRESTRIALIZATION OF LAKE STAROWLANY IN THE EEMIAN INTERGLACJAL BASED ON CLADOCERA ANALYSIS (SOKÓŁKA HILLS, NE POLAND)
This paper presents development of the paleolake Starowlany existing in the Eemian Interglacial (MIS 5e) in northeastern Poland. The lake history is based on Cladocera analysis. The paleolake Starowlany is located in the...