Układ przestrzenny wczesnośredniowiecznego grodu w Połupinie, stan. 2

Abstract

The excavations carried out in Połupin had provided crucial information about the development of the area surrounded by the rampart. Due to the incomplete preserved documentation, it was not possible to precisely situate the location of some features, however it did not prevent to distinguish few characteristic elements of development, both residential, economic and defensive. Residential part of the stronghold was most likely located along the inner part of the walls, i.e. in the safest place in the stronghold, in so called blind spot of fire. The courtyard, besides few, most likely, residential features (pits 1 and 2), was occupied by the features of processing function (probably birch-tar pit and smoke pit) and by the close undefined constructions, from which only post holes remained. Basing on the NMT analysis one can propose a hypothesis that the stronghold was surrounded from the west, south and east by horseshoe-like rampart, and from the north, i.e. Odra River valley, another kind of defensive system functioned, in form of stone enforced terraces incised in the strongly steep slope. However to verify this hypothesis further excavations are required. Post deposit processes caused almost complete destruction of the relics of walls. Their remains were traceable only in the south-western and south-eastern part of the stronghold, although we cannot say much about its construction. This remark concerns also construction techniques used in building of the elements of the courtyard development. The choice of location place of the stronghold was based on the defensive characters offered by the nature. The place where it was build was limited from the west and east by deep denudative valleys, which besides defensive feature, could have been also used as a communication routes between stronghold and used for economic activities, the Odra River valley. The northern foreground, besides hypothetical, artificial terraces system, was limited by wet river valley.